Meditation app tested as teen depression aid
NCT ID NCT06626425
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether using a smartphone meditation app (Healthy Minds Program) for 8 weeks can reduce depression symptoms in teens aged 14-19. 200 participants with elevated depression scores will be randomly assigned to either the meditation app or a hydration tracking app. The study lasts 20 weeks and measures changes in depression, anxiety, and well-being.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Healthy Minds Program App (meditation training app)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a low-cost, accessible tool to help teens manage depression symptoms.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with no blinding, so results may be influenced by expectations. The app may not outperform the hydration app used for comparison.
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 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jan 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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14 to 19 years
- 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.
1. Age 14 to 19 2. Currently in high school (i.e., 9th to 12th grade) or if not attending school, would be in high school if enrolled 3. Proficient in English 4. Able to understand and provide informed consent (greater than or equal to 18 years old) or assent and parent/guardian consent (if less than 18 years old) 5. PROMIS Depression Scale T-score greater than or equal to 60 6. If on a psychotropic meditation, has been receiving a stable dose for greater than or equal to 4 weeks 7. Willing and able to complete all study procedures Exclusion Criteria: 1. Has received a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (HSED or GED) 2. Weekly or more frequent meditation practice 3. Prior use of the Healthy Minds Program app 4. Prior use of the water tracking app 5. Endorses current active suicidal ideation with intent on the baseline screen 6. Self-reported history of psychosis or mania 7. Practiced the techniques learned in a mindfulness-based therapy Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) etc. one or more times per week in the last 6 months. Include therapy sessions if mindfulness is practiced in session or planning to start one of these therapies during the study period.
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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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Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin Madison
RECRUITINGMadison, Wisconsin, 53705, United States
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