Can an app and telehealth beat depression? small trial aims to find out
NCT ID NCT07634705
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This pilot study will test a stepped-care approach for depression in 40 adults from primary care clinics. Participants will either use a mood-tracking app (Moodivate) alone, receive telehealth therapy, or start with the app and step up to therapy if needed. The main goal is to see if this approach is feasible, not whether it works. Results will help design larger studies.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Moodivate app and telehealth behavioral activation therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a scalable, low-cost way to treat depression in primary care using a combination of an app and remote therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (40 people) testing feasibility, not effectiveness. The app and therapy may not work for everyone, and results may not apply to broader 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.
- 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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2026
- 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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18 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: * elevated depression symptoms (score of \>=10 on the PHQ-9) * age \>=18 years * owns an iOS or Android smartphone * willing to use Moodivate * willing to engage in telehealth depression treatment * access to email or text messaging (for assessments) * English fluency Exclusion Criteria: * current receipt of psychosocial depression treatment (e.g., individual or group therapy) * current suicidal ideation, defined as a response \>=1 ("several days") on PHQ-9 item nine * does not live in the state of South Carolina
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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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Medical University of South Carolina
RECRUITINGCharleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States
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