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Can a phone app that blocks distracting apps ease depression?

NCT ID NCT07827703

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Bergen Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Researchers at the University of Bergen are testing whether a two-week, self-guided smartphone screen time reduction program can reduce depression symptoms in young adults. The trial enrolls 200 students in Oslo who have sought help at the student mental health service. Participants are assigned by chance to start the program right away or to continue usual care for two weeks and then receive the program. Everyone answers questionnaires about depression and anxiety at the start and after two weeks, and uploads iPhone screen time screenshots at the start, after two weeks, and after twelve weeks. The program blocks the most distracting apps, disables notifications, and requires a 30-second delay before unlocking an app for 10 minutes, followed by a 5-minute cooldown. The entire study takes place online with no clinic visits.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
an app-based smartphone screen time restriction program
What this could lead to
If it works, a free phone app could offer a simple way to ease depression and anxiety symptoms in young adults, without clinic visits or medication.
What could go wrong
The trial is small and short, so any symptom relief may fade or may not hold up in larger groups. Blocking apps can be frustrating, and some participants may find ways around the restrictions.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 200 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Has applied for care at SiO Mental Health, the student mental health service in Oslo, and has received the service's response to the application * Owns an iPhone (the screen time restriction tool requires iOS) * Able to understand written Norwegian * Provides informed consent Exclusion Criteria: \- None

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety disorder Depression depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Anxiety symptoms Depressive symptoms Screen time

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Studentsamskipnaden i Oslo

    Oslo, Norway

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