Lonely hearts and depressed minds: new study probes link
NCT ID NCT07333027
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how loneliness impacts recovery from depression in 200 hospitalized patients. Researchers will track symptoms, social support, and collect blood, saliva, and stool samples at three points: start of treatment, discharge, and three months later. The goal is to understand if lonely and non-lonely people respond differently to standard depression care.
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 could help tailor depression treatments based on a person's loneliness level.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not testing a new treatment. It may not lead to direct changes in care.
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
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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Sep 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.
Who is studied
Individuals who are admitted for inpatient treatment at one of the two psychiatric clinics in Erlangen (university hospital, community hospital), Germany, either electively or as an emergency case, due to depressive symptoms.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 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: * primary diagnosis of depression according to ICD-10 (F32 or F33), as diagnosed by a physician or clinical psychologist in conjunction with the M.I.N.I. Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview diagnostic tools * inpatient elective or emergency admission to one of the two psychiatric clinics; - age over 18 years * sufficient understanding of spoken and written German * informed voluntary consent Exclusion Criteria: * a current lack of capacity to provide consent (e.g., pronounced psychotic symptoms, stuporous depressive syndrome, and thought constriction to suicidality) * previous participation in the study * pregnancy or breastfeeding * inpatient stay of less than 7 days, even if the patients initially met the inclusion criteria.
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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
2 sites. 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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Bezirkskliniken Mittelfranken, Clinic for Psychiatry, Addiction, Psychotherapie and Psychosomatic Medicine
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGErlangen, Bavaria, 91056, Germany
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Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
RECRUITINGErlangen, Bavaria, 91054, Germany
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