Open-label placebo pills for mild depressive symptoms in young adults
Tests placebo pills openly described as inactive in young adults with mild depressive symptoms.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Testing a Non-Deceptive Placebo Intervention for Subclinical Depressive Symptoms
Key facts
- Where
- Oxford, United StatesSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 30 years old?
Source: NCT07889908, who can take part
Where in United States
- Miami University, Department of PsychologyOxford, United StatesNo 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?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Miami University
- Trial code
- NCT07889908
- Record updated
- 22 October 2026
- Original description
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.Read full original descriptionShow less
Examining Non-Deceptive Placebo Effects on Subclinical Depression Symptoms: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Blinded and Unblinded Control Conditions
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.
Inclusion: 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.
Exclusion: Use of psychotropic medication (e.g., antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants) within the past 8 weeks; 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; PHQ-8 score greater than 9 or less than 5 at screening; Currently pregnant or breastfeeding.