Depression
Conditions
Brief summary
This study will investigate whether an intervention that includes remotely delivered therapy sessions and a digital mental health app, compared to only remotely delivered therapy reduces late-life depression
Detailed description
Depression in mid- and late-life is characterized with reduced functions of the reward system. The investigators designed a psychotherapy that aims to improve reward functions through engagement in pleasurable activities and in turn reduce depression. Prior work has shown that this therapy is acceptable and reduces depression. This study examines whether a hybrid intervention that combines clinician remotely-delivered psychotherapy, and a novel app named TREE-Connect, reduces late life depression. This TREE-Connect app uses a machine learning algorithm to promote adherence to therapy (completion of therapeutic homework) in late-life depression and increase cost-effectiveness and reach of treatment to older adults. This randomized controlled trials will test whether the hybrid intervention (clinician-delivered psychotherapy + app), compared to a condition that includes solely clinician-delivered therapy is acceptable and reduces late-life depression.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTREE-Connect
TREE-Connect is a mental health app that aims to increase engagement in rewarding activities
BEHAVIORALClinician-delivered psychotherapy
Clinician-delivered psychotherapy is delivered remotely and aimed to increase engagement in rewarding activities
Sponsors
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Adults aged 50-80 * Capacity to provide consent for research assessment and treatment. * Significant depression, i.e., PHQ-9 ≥ 7 (mild-moderate severity of symptoms) * Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) equal or greater than a score of 23. * Off antidepressants or on stable dose for 8 weeks and do not intend to change the dose in the next 10 weeks, without individual psychotherapy services during the study period.
Exclusion criteria
* Intent or plan to commit suicide in the near future. * Inability to communicate in English. * History or presence of psychiatric diagnoses other than major depressive disorder without psychotic features, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, or antisocial or borderline personality disorder. * Neurological disorders (dementias, amnestic and multidomain Mild Cognitive Impairment, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, etc.). * Acute or severe medical illness in the past 3 months (metastatic cancer, multiple sclerosis, decompensated cardiac, liver or kidney failure, major surgery, stroke or myocardial infarction, cardiac, renal, or respiratory failure; severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.) that may be the primary cause depressive symptoms, influence brain systems of interest, or impact ability to participate in the study. * For MRI only: Contraindications to MRI scanning including cardiac pacemaker, heart valve replacement, vascular stent, insulin pump, cochlear implant, any other metallic biomedical implant contraindicating to MRI, and claustrophobia.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptability (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire; CSQ) | 9 Weeks | Acceptability will measured using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) with a benchmar score of \>=3 (out of 4; average score); Range: 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater acceptability |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTDelaney Callaghan, BA
CONTACTMaddy Schier, BA
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORNili Solomonov, PhD
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSamprit Banerjee, PhD
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Outcome results
None listed