Quick therapy vs. waiting: does faster help for anxiety and depression pay off?
NCT ID NCT06916429
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether people with common mental health issues like anxiety and depression improve more when they start psychotherapy within two weeks, compared to those placed on a waiting list for about four and a half months. About 308 adults in Denmark, referred by their GP, will be randomly assigned to either immediate therapy or a waitlist. The main goal is to see if early treatment leads to greater symptom relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- psychotherapy (talk therapy)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that prompt access to psychotherapy in primary care reduces anxiety and depression symptoms faster than waiting.
- What could go wrong
- This is a moderate-sized trial in one country, so results may not apply everywhere. The waiting list design may overestimate benefits, and long-term effects are unclear.
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
-
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
-
About 308 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Apr 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Apr 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: Clients: * All clients who meet the criteria for one of the eleven referral reasons for psychotherapeutic treatment in the Danish primary sector. * Clients who read and speak proficient Danish to fill in the questionnaires. * Clients who agree to be randomized through their informed consent. Psychologists: * All practicing psychologists employed by the Danish primary sector. * Psychologists who can commit to the deadlines for beginning treatment. * Psychologists with at waiting time of approximately four months or longer. Exclusion Criteria: \- Clients considered unfit for participation or urgently needing psychological or medical help, as determined by the therapist.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Common mental disorders and/or stress related symptoms are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
University of Copenhagen
RECRUITINGCopenhagen, Central Region, 1452, Denmark