Beyond deception: examining the impact of open-label placebos on anxiety and stress

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00031423

Enrollment

200

Registered

2023-03-07

Start date

2023-01-30

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-12-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

test anxiety and acute stress

Interventions

Group 1: The intervention group will take one placebo tablet in the morning and one in the evening for a period of four weeks prior to an academic examination. Group 2: control group (no placebo)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Students who are about to take an oral examination. Head hair at least 3 cm long

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Diabetes, known neurologic, endocrinologic, psychiatric history, use of corticosteroid medications, pregnancy, use of illegal drugs

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Test anxiety (Prüfungsangstfragebogen), subjective (e.g. Perceived Stress Scale, Depressions-Angst-Stress-Skalen, State-Trait-Angst-Depressions-Inventar) and physiological anxiety and stress response (during the exam using salivary cortisol and retrospectively over four weeks using hair cortisol)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Exam grade, personality traits (e.g., Big Five/BFI-2, need for cognition/NFC-Scale, effortful control/ATQ, dispositional optimism/LOT-R), self-management skills, health-related resources (FERUS), placebo beliefs and expectations, overall life satisfaction (L-1)	—

Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactCarolin Liedtke

Medical School Berlin

carolin.liedtke@medicalschool-berlin.de+4930 7668375 -600

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026