Can a supplement and meditation lift mild depression in teens?
NCT ID NCT07464886
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a supplement called N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and mindfulness-based therapy can help young people aged 15 to 24 with mild depression. Participants will take NAC or a placebo and attend mindfulness or sham therapy sessions for 8 weeks. The goal is to see if these treatments improve brain chemistry and mood.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new, non-drug treatment option for mild depression in young people.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial with only 160 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatment may not work better than placebo.
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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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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About 160 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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Dec 2030
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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15 to 24 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.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. age between 15 years, 0 months to 24 years, 11 months old; 2. presenting with mild depression, defined by meeting DSM-5 criteria for a current major depressive episode, mild severity, or persistent depressive disorder, or other specified depressive disorder (depressive episode with insufficient symptoms to meet criteria for a major depressive episode); 3. medication-naïve or medication free for at least 5 half-lives since the last use of a psychoactive medication, with the exception of stimulants for ADHD; 4. if on ADHD stimulant medication over 2 months prior to screening, willing to maintain stimulant dose constant during the study participation; 5. Tanner stage greater than or equal to III; Exclusion Criteria: 1. significant suicidal risk, defined by suicidal ideation of type 3, 4 or 5 on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) in the past 3 months, or any lifetime suicidal attempts; 2. current major depressive episode, moderate or severe 3. current or lifetime history of manic or hypomanic episodes, and/or diagnosis of bipolar disorder; 4. current or lifetime history of psychotic disorders, and/or prior diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders; 5. active or current substance use disorders in the last 3 months, except cannabis or alcohol use disorder, mild; 6. diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorders, Tourette's syndrome 7. any contraindication to MRI scanning; 8. pregnancy; 9. history of major neurological disorder (e.g, epilepsy), or head trauma with \> 10 minutes loss of consciousness; 10. intellectual disability (IQ less than or equal to 70), as determined by the Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI); 11. previous participation in any mindfulness-based treatment; 12. initiating psychotherapy within 2 months prior to screening, or planning to initiate psychotherapy during study participation; if on therapy, frequency and type should remain stable for 2 months prior to enrollment and during study participation; 13. no current diagnosis of asthma 14. history of allergic reaction to N-acetylcysteine
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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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University of Cincinnati, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
RECRUITINGCincinnati, Ohio, 45219, United States
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