Could a Peer-Guided online program lift veteran depression?
NCT ID NCT07781228
First seen Aug 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether an online therapy program, supported by peer sessions, can reduce depression symptoms in veterans receiving primary care through the VA. About 400 veterans with moderate depression will either get enhanced usual care or the peer-supported online program. The study measures changes in depression severity and behavioral activation to see if this approach improves access to mental health care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Supported online self-help with peer support sessions, based on computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (cCBT)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this approach could expand access to psychotherapy for veterans with depression, offering a scalable alternative to in-person sessions.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is early-stage and relies on self-reported outcomes; results may not generalize beyond VA settings, and peer support may not match professional therapy.
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 400 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2029
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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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: * Must be enrolled in the VHA and currently receiving primary care services at VA Los Angeles or San Diego * Have access to computer (mobile or desktop), internet, telephone, and email * Able to read English text on a computer screen * Score 10 or higher on the PHQ-9 Exclusion Criteria: * Have moderate-high suicide risk (e.g. suicide flag) or active suicidality * Have other serious mental illness (e.g. bipolar disorder, psychosis) * Have medical disorder that would prevent/ interfere with participation (e.g. dementia/cognitive impairment, terminal illness)
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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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VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
West Los Angeles, California, 90073-1003, United States
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VA San Diego Healthcare System
San Diego, California, 92161, United States
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