Clinical Trials
for Depression in California
84 clinical trials for Depression are currently recruiting participants at study sites in California. Study-related care is provided at no cost.
Depression clinical trials in California: what to expect
Depression trials cover new medicines, brain stimulation, talk therapy and digital programs. The busiest area is treatment-resistant depression: studies for people whose current antidepressant has not helped enough, testing rapid-acting medicines, add-on treatments and devices such as transcranial magnetic stimulation. Others compare types of therapy, test app-based programs, or study depression alongside another condition such as chronic pain or heart disease.
In California, recruiting depression studies are concentrated in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento, with sites in 82 other cities. 18 of the 84 are run by a drug or device company, which usually means a larger study with travel reimbursement; the rest are academic or hospital-led.
Who depression trials usually look for
Most adult trials require a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, a current episode with symptoms above a threshold on a standard questionnaire, and ages 18 to 65. Treatment-resistant trials ask that one or two antidepressants at a proper dose have not worked in the current episode. Common exclusions are bipolar disorder, psychosis, a substance use disorder in the last year and, for safety, a high current suicide risk. Many trials let you continue stable talk therapy.
Some medicine trials add the study drug to the antidepressant you take; others require a supervised taper first. The listing says which.
What taking part involves
Screening is a structured interview with a clinician plus blood work. Medicine trials usually run six to twelve weeks with weekly or fortnightly visits and mood questionnaires, and many include a placebo arm, with close safety monitoring either way; an open-label extension often follows so everyone can receive the active drug. Therapy and app trials run eight to sixteen weeks and compare against usual care. Treatment, visits and tests are free, and most trials pay for time.
Questions worth asking the study team
Whether you would taper your current medicine and how that is supervised; the chance of placebo and whether there is an open-label extension; what happens if you feel worse during the study; and whether your own doctor is kept informed. Research records are kept separate from your medical record unless you ask otherwise.
Showing 20 of 84 recruiting Depression trials in California
Where the Depression studies are in California
- Stanford University, Stanford5 trials
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco5 trials
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles4 trials
- San Diego State University, San Diego3 trials
- University of California San Diego, La Jolla3 trials
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles3 trials
- Los Angeles23
- San Diego20
- San Francisco12
- Sacramento9
- Stanford8
- Orange7
- La Jolla6
- Chino5
Counts are recruiting studies listing at least one site in California, from ClinicalTrials.gov, refreshed every two days.
Depression clinical trials in California: common questions
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