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Can a blood test reveal hidden links between childhood trauma and suicide risk?

NCT ID NCT04923685

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Alabama at Birmingham Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at how childhood trauma and stress affect tiny genetic molecules called microRNAs in the blood. Researchers will compare people with major depression and healthy volunteers to see if these molecules can help explain the link between early life stress and suicidal thoughts. The goal is to better understand the biology behind mental illness, not to test a new treatment.

What this could mean

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

What this could lead to
If successful, this study could help identify biological markers that predict depression or suicide risk after childhood trauma.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to direct clinical changes, and results may not apply to all populations.

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.

Participants

About 450 people

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

Started

Feb 2021

Expected to finish

Dec 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.

Who is studied

People between the ages of 18 and 60 with either a history of Major Depressive Disorder or no lifetime history of any major mental illness.

Ages

18 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: 1. Age 18-60 2. Physically healthy 3. Willing and able to provide informed consent 5\. Diagnosis of MDD or No history of mental illness Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnancy or lactation (women of reproductive potential must have a negative urine pregnancy screen) 2. Post-partum state (being within 2 months of delivery or miscarriage) 3. Homicide risk as determined by clinical interview 4. A lifetime history of psychotic disorder 5. Any history of dissociation or dissociative disorder 6. Bipolar disorder 7. Pervasive developmental disorder 8. Cognitive disorder 9. Cluster A personality disorder 10. Borderline personality disorder 11. Anorexia nervosa 12. Alcohol or drug dependence (except nicotine and caffeine) within the last month or the use of any hallucinogen (except cannabis), including phencyclidine in the last month (NOTE that a positive UDS is not exclusionary except for hallucinogens, methamphetamine, or cocaine. People presenting intoxicated with alcohol may be included when a Breathalyzer test (Alco-Sensor IV) is negative as long as there is no history of recent dependence. 13. Recent myocardial infarction 14. Unstable angina 15. Active neoplasm in the past 6 months 16. Immunosuppressive or corticosteroid therapy within the last month, with the following exceptions: any inhaled, intranasal, topical or vaginal corticosteroids are allowed. 17. Chemotherapy 18. Head injury with loss of consciousness in the past 6 months

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety disorder Depression major depressive disorder Suicidal Ideation

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Major depressive disorder Suicidal ideation

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. 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

  • UAB Huntsville Regional Medical Campus

    RECRUITING

    Huntsville, Alabama, 35294, United States

  • University of Alabama at Birmingham

    RECRUITING

    Birmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States

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