NCT07857629Not yet recruiting
Brief Psychoanalytic Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder
Brief Psychoanalytic Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 5 Oct 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether brief psychoanalytic therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) reduce depressive symptoms in adults aged 18 to 65 who have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does brief psychoanalytic therapy reduce depression severity more than a waitlist control condition after 18 weeks? * Does CBT reduce depression severity more than a waitlist control condition after 18 weeks? Researchers will also compare brief psychoanalytic therapy with CBT to explore whether one works better than the other, and will examine whether changes in defense mechanisms and automatic negative thoughts explain improvement in each therapy. Participants will: * Be randomly assigned to brief psychoanalytic therapy, CBT, or a waitlist control group (30 participants per group) * In the therapy groups, attend 18 weekly individual therapy sessions of 50 minutes each * In the waitlist group, continue their usual psychiatric care without psychotherapy for 18 weeks, and then be offered one of the therapies * Complete clinical interviews and questionnaires about depression, anxiety, quality of life, thought patterns and coping styles before treatment, at week 9 and at week 18 * In the therapy groups, complete follow-up assessments 6 and 12 months after treatment ends
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 90 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 27 Sept 2026
- Start date
- 1 Nov 2026
- Primary completion date
- 15 Aug 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Istanbul Nisantasi University
- Diseases
- Depression
- NCT number
- NCT07857629
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 90
- From 1 Nov 2026 to the primary completion date, 15 Aug 2027
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Currently receiving any psychotherapy, or having received cognitive behavioral or psychodynamic therapy within the past 12 months
- Electroconvulsive therapy or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation within the past 6 months
Other illness
- Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorder, or major depressive disorder with psychotic features
- Moderate or severe substance use disorder within the past 6 months
- Another primary psychiatric diagnosis requiring different treatment (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorder, or severe personality disorder)
- Neurological disorder, dementia, intellectual disability, or a medical condition that could explain the depressive symptoms (e.g., untreated hypothyroidism)
Other
- High suicide risk, defined as active suicidal ideation with plan or intent, or a suicide attempt within the past 12 months
Who the study is looking for
- Primary DSM-5-TR diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (single or recurrent episode), established by a psychiatrist and confirmed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, Clinician Version (SCID-5-CV)
- Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17) total score of 14 or higher at baseline
- Either not taking antidepressant medication, or on a stable antidepressant dose for at least 8 weeks before enrollment and willing to keep the dose unchanged during the 18-week treatment phase
- Literate in Turkish and able to attend weekly sessions
- Written informed consent
Age in the registry: 18 years to 65 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul Nisantasi Universitesi Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Istanbul | Turkey (Türkiye) | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.