Talking therapy aims to rewrite depression in the elderly
NCT ID NCT07371988
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether a type of talk therapy called narrative therapy can reduce depression in people aged 60 and older. 110 participants with mild to moderate depression will be randomly assigned to either 8 weekly group therapy sessions or a waitlist. The therapy helps people reshape their personal stories to find new meaning. Researchers will measure changes in depression and self-stigma before and after the program.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- narrative therapy (a type of talk therapy that helps people reshape their personal stories)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a non-drug option to ease depression in older adults.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 110 participants. The therapy may not work better than no treatment, and results may not apply to all older adults.
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 110 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2025
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
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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60 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: 1. aged 60 years or above; 2. exhibiting depressive symptoms as assessed using a standardised assessment tool, namely the Chinese Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI; Byrne et al., 2004), with a BDI score between 10 and 30; 3. being a service user of an elderly centre; and 4. providing informed consent to participate in this research. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Individuals with severe depression (i.e. a BDI score ≥ 31), dementia, psychosis, or self-reported suicidal thoughts are excluded from this study; and 2. Individuals currently receiving a therapeutic intervention are not excluded from this study.
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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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City University of Hong Kong
RECRUITINGKowloon Tong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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