Subthreshold DepressionNCT07869810
Emotion-Belief Intervention for Subthreshold Depression in College Students
A study testing Single-session emotion-belief intervention and Continuous emotion-belief intervention in people with Subthreshold Depression, run by Huazhong University of Science and Technology at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This study was a randomized controlled trial examining the long-term efficacy of an emotion-belief intervention on depressive symptoms in college students with subthreshold depression. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 17 to 30 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Subthreshold Depression
- What is being tested?
- Single-session emotion-belief intervention and Continuous emotion-belief intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 86 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2025to 10 Sep 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 17 to 30 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 17-30 years
- College students
- PHQ-9 ≥ 5 and BDI-II ≥ 14 at baseline
- Confirmed subthreshold depression by MINI interview
- Written informed consent
Who cannot join
- PHQ-9 item 9 ≥ 2 (suicide risk)
- Psychotic disorder
- Current psychological treatment for depression or anxiety
- Current psychotropic medication
- History of substance use disorders
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
China1 site
School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wuhan, Hubei, 430074
About this study
Official title: Long-term Efficacy of Emotion-belief Intervention on Depressive Symptoms in College Students With Subthreshold Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study was a randomized controlled trial examining the long-term efficacy of an emotion-belief intervention on depressive symptoms in college students with subthreshold depression. Participants with subthreshold depression were randomly assigned to a single-session emotion-belief intervention, a continuous emotion-belief intervention, or a sport-belief control group. Depressive symptoms, emotion beliefs, and emotion regulation were assessed at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 months after intervention. This study was retrospectively registered.
- Conditions
- Subthreshold Depression
- Being tested
- Single-session emotion-belief intervention, Continuous emotion-belief intervention, Sport-belief control
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Single-session emotion-belief interventionBehavioural
A 20-minute computerized intervention consisting of three modules: psychoeducation on neuroplasticity, reading and internalizing role-model stories, and a guided self-persuasion exercise.
Continuous emotion-belief interventionBehavioural
The single-session emotion-belief intervention plus a two-week daily consolidation exercise requiring at least 10 daily records.
Sport-belief controlBehavioural
A structurally identical single-session intervention focused on the malleability of athletic ability, serving as an active control.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Single-session emotion-belief intervention | Experimental | Participants received a single 20-minute computerized emotion-belief intervention. Receives: Behavioral: Single-session emotion-belief intervention |
| Continuous emotion-belief intervention | Experimental | Participants received the single-session emotion-belief intervention plus a two-week daily consolidation exercise. Receives: Behavioral: Continuous emotion-belief intervention |
| Sport-belief control | Active comparator | Participants received a structurally identical single-session intervention focused on the malleability of athletic ability. Receives: Behavioral: Sport-belief control |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Depressive symptoms (PHQ-9)
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) total score, ranging from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
Measured: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months after intervention
Secondary outcomes (2)
Depressive symptoms (BDI-II)
Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) total score, ranging from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
Measured: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months after intervention
Emotion beliefs (ITES-V)
Implicit Theories of Emotion Scale-Variant version (ITES-V) score, ranging from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating stronger incremental beliefs about emotion.
Measured: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months after intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Oct 2026
- Study start1 Jan 2025
- Primary completion10 Sep 2025
- Study completion10 Sep 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Subthreshold DepressionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 86 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Meiqi Li, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Investigators
- Jianwen Chen, PhD, Study director, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07869810
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 20241210
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 29 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 13 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified individual participant data will be made available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Long-term Efficacy of Emotion-belief Intervention on Depressive Symptoms in College Students With Subthreshold Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07869810
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 20241210
- Conditions
- Subthreshold Depression
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 86 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Sep 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study was a randomized controlled trial examining the long-term efficacy of an emotion-belief intervention on depressive symptoms in college students with subthreshold depression. Participants with subthreshold depression were randomly assigned to a single-session emotion-belief intervention, a continuous emotion-belief intervention, or a sport-belief control group. Depressive symptoms, emotion beliefs, and emotion regulation were assessed at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 months after intervention. This study was retrospectively registered.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Single-session emotion-belief intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Single-session emotion-belief interventionParticipants received a single 20-minute computerized emotion-belief intervention. |
| Continuous emotion-belief intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Continuous emotion-belief interventionParticipants received the single-session emotion-belief intervention plus a two-week daily consolidation exercise. |
| Sport-belief control | Active comparator | Behavioral: Sport-belief controlParticipants received a structurally identical single-session intervention focused on the malleability of athletic ability. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 17 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age 17-30 years
- College students
- PHQ-9 ≥ 5 and BDI-II ≥ 14 at baseline
- Confirmed subthreshold depression by MINI interview
- Written informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- PHQ-9 item 9 ≥ 2 (suicide risk)
- Psychotic disorder
- Current psychological treatment for depression or anxiety
- Current psychotropic medication
- History of substance use disorders
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Single-session emotion-belief interventionA 20-minute computerized intervention consisting of three modules: psychoeducation on neuroplasticity, reading and internalizing role-model stories, and a guided self-persuasion exercise. | Behavioural | Single-session emotion-belief intervention |
| Continuous emotion-belief interventionThe single-session emotion-belief intervention plus a two-week daily consolidation exercise requiring at least 10 daily records. | Behavioural | Continuous emotion-belief intervention |
| Sport-belief controlA structurally identical single-session intervention focused on the malleability of athletic ability, serving as an active control. | Behavioural | Sport-belief control |
Primary outcome
Depressive symptoms (PHQ-9)
Time frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months after intervention
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) total score, ranging from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
2 secondary outcomes
Depressive symptoms (BDI-II)
Time frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months after intervention
Emotion beliefs (ITES-V)
Time frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months after intervention
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified individual participant data will be made available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jianwen Chen, PhD study director
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Single-session emotion-belief intervention and Continuous emotion-belief intervention in people with Subthreshold Depression, run by Huazhong University of Science and Technology at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) (time frame: Baseline, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months after intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Oct 2026.