Can a phone or video chat lift depression in older cancer survivors?
NCT ID NCT05574127
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether a type of talk therapy called behavioral activation (BA) can help treat depression in older adults who have survived cancer. Participants will receive BA or supportive psychotherapy remotely via video or phone over 10 weeks. The goal is to see if BA reduces depressive symptoms better than the comparison therapy.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- behavioral activation therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide an effective, accessible therapy option for depression in older cancer survivors.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small phase 2 trial with 90 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy may not work better than supportive psychotherapy.
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
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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
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About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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65 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: Phase I: * As per self-report or medical record, ≥65 years old * As per self-report or medical record, has a history of cancer * As per medical record and/or clinician confirmation: * a patient in MSK Survivorship Clinics AND/OR * no evidence of disease (NED) AND/OR * 6 months or more post-treatment (patients on maintenance hormonal therapies are eligible) * Fluent in English, as per self-reported fluency of "well" or "very well"\* * As per self-report, able to communicate over video-conference and/or phone for sessions * Elevated score on the PHQ-9: ≥5 (N/A for Training Case participants) * Received a Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration Scale (BOMC) score of ≤ 11 (N/A for Training Case participants) Phase II: * As per self-report or medical record, ≥18 years old * Fluent in English, as per self-reported fluency of "well" or "very well"\* * As per self-report or medical record, has a history of cancer * Elevated score on the PHQ-9: ≥5 * Received a Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration Scale (BOMC) score of ≤ 11 (N/A for Training Case participants) Note. The eligibility criteria for Phase II allows inclusion of younger participants and those receiving active treatment due to the theoretical rationale that a single-session intervention will remove certain barriers that are believed to exist for these groups in receiving the longer, 10-session intervention. Exclusion Criteria: Phase I: * As per PI determination, requires a higher level of care for current passive or active suicidal ideation than current protocol is able to provide. If a participant receives a score of \> 0 on item 9 of the PHQ-9, they will be referred to study PI for further evaluation. They will be excluded from participation in this study if the PI determines they would be appropriate for a higher level of care than BA may be able to provide. * As per self-report or as documented in the medical record, current untreated (e.g., no medication, no therapy) major psychotic disorder (schizotypal personality disorder, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder). Patients diagnosed with a major psychiatric disorder will be reviewed by the study PI to determine eligibility prior to consent. * As per self-report or medical record, currently taking antidepressant medication for \< 3 month * As per medical record, patient has impaired decision-making capacity Phase II: * As per PI determination, requires a higher level of care for current active suicidal ideation than current protocol is able to provide. If a participant receives a score of \> 0 on item 9 of the PHQ-9, they will be referred to study PI for further evaluation. They will be excluded from participation in this study if the PI determines they would be appropriate for a higher level of care than BA may be able to provide. * As per self-report or medical record, current weekly psychotherapy or currently taking an antidepressant for \<3 months. * As per medical record, patient has impaired decision-making capacity * Language verification: Prior to enrollment, patients will be asked the following two questions by research staff to verify English fluency necessary for participation in the study: 1. How well do you speak English? (must respond "Well" or "Very well" when given the choices of Very well, Well, Not well, Not at all, Don't know, or Refused) 2. What is your preferred language for healthcare? (must respond English)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activities)
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10065, United States
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