Painhunting Therapy compared with cognitive behavioural therapy for depression after distressing events
Compares two talking therapies in adults with depression linked to a distressing event.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Painhunting Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Event-Related Depression
Key facts
- Where
- Astana, KazakhstanSee the site
AI summary: who the study is looking for
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with depression symptoms linked to a recent hard life event. It compares two talk therapies.
- Age
- 18 years or older
- Sex
- All sexes can join
- Disease stage
- Depression score (PHQ-9) of 9 or greater, and at least one adverse life event in the past 24 months
- Earlier treatment
- People in therapy with another provider cannot join. People who started medicine in the past four weeks cannot join. A stable antidepressant taken alone, unchanged for eight weeks or longer, is allowed.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Active suicidal thoughts needing immediate referral
- Active psychosis or mania
- Active substance use disorder
- Current therapy with another provider
- Started medicine in the past four weeks
Read by machine on 9 November 2026.
Where in Kazakhstan
- Central Painhunting OfficeAstana, KazakhstanNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- Painhunting LLP
- Trial code
- NCT07738146
- Record updated
- 31 July 2026
- Original description
This randomized, active-comparator pilot trial will compare Painhunting Therapy with manualized Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in adults with event-related depressive symptoms. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either Painhunting Therapy or CBT. The primary outcome is depressive symptom severity measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) at six weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes include anxiety symptoms, event-related distress, functional impairment, treatment response and remission, treatment retention, and durability of outcomes at 10 to 12 weeks. The study will also assess treatment fidelity, therapeutic alliance, and selected potential moderators of treatment response. The trial uses a randomized, rater-blinded, parallel-group design with an adaptive sample-size approach.Read full original descriptionShow less
Painhunting Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Event-Related Depression: Active-Comparator Randomized Pilot Trial With Adaptive Sample-Size Re-Estimation
This randomized, active-comparator pilot trial will compare Painhunting Therapy with manualized Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in adults with event-related depressive symptoms. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either Painhunting Therapy or CBT. The primary outcome is depressive symptom severity measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) at six weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes include anxiety symptoms, event-related distress, functional impairment, treatment response and remission, treatment retention, and durability of outcomes at 10 to 12 weeks. The study will also assess treatment fidelity, therapeutic alliance, and selected potential moderators of treatment response. The trial uses a randomized, rater-blinded, parallel-group design with an adaptive sample-size approach.
Inclusion: Age 18 years or older; PHQ-9 score of 9 or greater at screening; At least one adverse life event within the prior 24 months, documented using the Life Events Threshold (LTE) instrument; Resident of Kazakhstan; Fluent in Russian; Capacity to provide written informed consent; Willing to attend at least six sessions within the protocol treatment schedule.
Exclusion: Initiation of pharmacotherapy within the prior four weeks; Active substance use disorder meeting DSM criteria; Active suicidal ideation requiring immediate referral, defined as PHQ-9 item 9 score of 3 or clinical judgment of imminent risk; Active psychosis or mania; Current psychotherapy with another provider; Pre-existing stable antidepressant monotherapy unchanged for eight weeks or longer is permitted; Inability to provide informed consent in Russian.