NCT07889908Not yet recruiting
Testing a Non-Deceptive Placebo Intervention for Subclinical Depressive Symptoms
Examining Non-Deceptive Placebo Effects on Subclinical Depression Symptoms: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Blinded and Unblinded Control Conditions
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 22 Oct 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Subclinical depression - depressive symptoms that fall below the threshold for major depressive disorder - is common in young adults and predicts later depressive episodes, yet it often goes untreated. This study tests whether a brief, remotely delivered non-deceptive (open-label) placebo intervention reduces subclinical depressive symptoms over approximately two weeks. Participants aged 18-30 living in Ohio, with PHQ-8 scores in the 5-9 range, are randomly assigned to one of three groups: a non-deceptive placebo group, a blinded control group, or an unblinded control group. All participants complete three remote sessions over 16-18 days and complete the same assessments on the same schedule. Participants in the non-deceptive placebo group additionally receive psychoeducation about placebo effects and placebo pills that are explicitly described as containing no active ingredients, which they take twice daily for two weeks. Participants in the unblinded control group are told they have been assigned to a control condition. Participants in the blinded control group are not told their group assignment until debriefing at the end of the study. The study has two aims. The first is to estimate the effect of the non-deceptive placebo intervention on depressive symptoms and related outcomes. The second is methodological: to determine whether telling control participants that they are in a control group changes their outcomes, and therefore whether the choice of control condition systematically biases estimates of non-deceptive placebo effects.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 330 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 6 Oct 2026
- Start date
- 25 Oct 2026
- Primary completion date
- 30 Sept 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Miami University
- Diseases
- Depression
- NCT number
- NCT07889908
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 330
- From 25 Oct 2026 to the primary completion date, 30 Sept 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
- Use of psychotropic medication (e.g., antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants) within the past 8 weeks
Other illness
- Current clinical diagnosis of anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance use disorder, or another psychiatric disorder made by a licensed healthcare professional
- Psychiatric hospitalization within the past 6 months
Other
- PHQ-8 score greater than 9 or less than 5 at screening
- Currently pregnant or breastfeeding
Who the study is looking for
- Age 18 to 30 years
- Native English speaker
- Currently resides in the state of Ohio
- PHQ-8 score of 5 to 9 at screening
- Reliable daily access to the internet
- Willing to provide a mailing address to receive study materials
- Willing to participate in Webex sessions with a working microphone and webcam
- Willing to complete surveys over a 16- to 18-day period
- Willing to receive weekly email or text reminders
Age in the registry: 18 years to 30 years · Sex: All · Accepts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami University, Department of Psychology Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Oxford | United States | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.