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Home › Conditions › Depression

Depression

Subtypes of Depression

Depressive Symptoms 14 Depressive episodes 1

185 published articles · Updated continuously

Clinical Trial Landscape

Clinical Trials for Depression

806 trials tracked for Depression: 207 in phase 3 or 4 and 79 with published results. The most-cited published study has 1064 citations.

806Trials tracked
207Phase 3 & 4
0Recruiting
79With published results
Phase distribution
Phase 4 115 Phase 3 92 Phase 2 97 Phase 1 21 Other / NA 481
  1. Phase 3 Magnetic Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Adult Depression Completed · 1,064 cited
  2. Phase 3 A Study to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of SAGE-547 in Participants With Moderate Postpartum Depression (547-PPD-202C) Completed · 779 cited
  3. Phase 3 A Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of SAGE-547 in Participants With Severe Postpartum Depression (547-PPD-202B) Completed · 779 cited
  4. Phase 4 Research Study for Major Depressive Disorder: Investigation of Glutamate Medications Completed · 599 cited
  5. Phase 4 Stepped Care for Depression and Musculoskeletal Pain Completed · 445 cited
  6. Phase 3 A Study to Evaluate SAGE-217 in Participants With Severe Postpartum Depression Completed · 253 cited
Show 44 more trials
  1. Phase 3 ELEKT-D: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) vs. Ketamine in Patients With Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) Completed · 252 cited
  2. Phase 3 Depression in Alzheimer's Disease-2 Completed · 244 cited
  3. Phase 3 Perimenopausal Estrogen Replacement Therapy Study Completed · 242 cited
  4. Phase 4 Improving Sleep and Psychological Functioning in People With Depression and Insomnia Completed · 235 cited
  5. Phase 4 Research Evaluating the Value of Augmenting Medication With Psychotherapy Completed · 213 cited
  6. Phase 3 Treatments for Depression: Drug Versus Psychotherapy Completed · 153 cited
  7. Phase 4 Reducing Suicidal Ideation Through Insomnia Treatment Completed · 151 cited
  8. Phase 3 TRIAD - Treatment of Insomnia and Depression Completed · 151 cited
  9. Phase 4 Predictors of Antidepressant Response Completed · 149 cited
  10. Phase 3 Early Palliative Care With Standard Care or Standard Care Alone in Improving Quality of Life of Patients With Incurable Lung or Non-colorectal Gastrointestinal Cancer and Their Family Caregivers Completed · 129 cited
  11. Phase 3 A Trial of AXS-05 in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder Completed · 126 cited
  12. Phase 3 Chronic Kidney Disease Antidepressant Sertraline Trial Completed · 122 cited
  13. Phase 3 A Trial of Sertraline vs. CBT for End-stage Renal Disease Patients With Depression {ASCEND} Completed · 113 cited
  14. Phase 3 Does Fish Oil Prevent Depression in Pregnancy and Postpartum? Completed · 112 cited
  15. Phase 4 Inflammation-related Alterations in Neurocircuitry: Reversal With Levodopa Completed · 109 cited
  16. Phase 3 Rhodiola Rosea Therapy of Major Depressive Disorder Completed · 109 cited
  17. Phase 3 Lumateperone Monotherapy for the Treatment of Bipolar Depression Conducted Globally Completed · 107 cited
  18. Phase 4 Treatment of Diabetes and Depression in Hispanics and African Americans and Its Effect on A1c and Quality of Life. Completed · 97 cited
  19. Phase 4 Evaluation of Depression Symptoms and Brain Activity Associated With Response to Treatment of Depression Completed · 86 cited
  20. Phase 4 Impact of Hot Flashes on Sleep and Mood Disturbance Completed · 77 cited
  21. Phase 4 Optimizing Outcomes of Treatment-Resistant Depression in Older Adults Completed · 75 cited
  22. Phase 4 Emotional and Cognitive Control in Late-Onset Depression Completed · 72 cited
  23. Phase 4 Acute Psychotherapy for Bipolar II Depression Completed · 65 cited
  24. Phase 4 Memantine Treatment for Improving Rehabilitation Outcomes and Preventing Depression in Older Adults Completed · 64 cited
  25. Phase 4 Dynamics of Inflammation and Its Blockade on Motivational Circuitry in Depression Completed · 61 cited
  26. Phase 4 Brain Aging and Treatment Response in Geriatric Depression Completed · 61 cited
  27. Phase 3 A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Fixed Doses of Intranasal Esketamine Plus an Oral Antidepressant in Adult Participants With Treatment-resistant Depression Completed · 57 cited
  28. Phase 4 Cyclooxygenase-2-Inhibitor Combination Treatment for Bipolar Depression Completed · 56 cited
  29. Phase 3 Omega 3 for Treatment of Depression in Patients With Heart Failure Completed · 55 cited
  30. Phase 4 Combination Treatment Study for Memory Impairment and Depression Completed · 53 cited
  31. Phase 4 Antidepressant Therapy in Treating Bipolar Type II Major Depression Completed · 52 cited
  32. Phase 4 Preventing Post-Operative Delirium in Patients Undergoing a Pneumonectomy, Esophagectomy or Thoracotomy Completed · 46 cited
  33. Phase 4 Advancing Personalized Antidepressant Treatment Using PET/MRI Completed · 44 cited
  34. Phase 4 A Multi-level Life-span Characterization of Adult-depression and Effects of Medication and Exercise Completed · 44 cited
  35. Phase 3 A Phase III Study of SM-13496 in Patients With Bipolar I Depression. Completed · 44 cited
  36. Phase 4 Ketamine as an Augmentation Strategy for Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) in Depression Completed · 41 cited
  37. Phase 4 Neuraxial Preservative Free Morphine for Normal Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery Completed · 36 cited
  38. Phase 3 Frontline Clinician Psilocybin Study Completed · 32 cited
  39. Phase 4 ADAPT: Addressing Depression and Pain Together Completed · 31 cited
  40. Phase 4 Raloxifene and Rimostil for Perimenopause-Related Depression Completed · 30 cited
  41. Phase 3 Study on the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Cariprazine Relative to Placebo in Participants With Bipolar I Depression Completed · 29 cited
  42. Phase 3 Study of the Efficacy of a Fixed-dose Regimen of Cariprazine Compared to Placebo for Treatment of the Depressive Episode in Participants With Bipolar I Disorder Completed · 29 cited
  43. Phase 3 Clinical Trial Evaluating ITI-007 as an Adjunctive Therapy to Lithium or Valproate for the Treatment of Bipolar Depression Completed · 26 cited
  44. Phase 3 Treatment for Bipolar Depression: Acute & Prophylactic Efficacy With Citalopram Completed · 25 cited

Showing the 50 most-cited and recently-updated of 806 trials. Browse the full registry →

Trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Counts describe the research landscape and are not a treatment recommendation. Informational only — not medical advice.

Depression: current evidence & treatments

Several interventions show promise for reducing depressive symptoms. Esketamine significantly reduces postoperative depressive symptoms (SMD -0.92) 1 and improves response in treatment-resistant depression (RR 1.94) but with dose-dependent adverse events 21. Structured exercise modalities yield large effects on depressive symptoms in adults (SMD -1.07 in university students) 20 and in chronic low back pain patients (SMD -1.48 for yoga with education) 2. Dance and Tai Chi rank highest among non-pharmacological interventions for depression in older adults 3. Art therapy also significantly reduces depressive symptoms (SMD -0.69) 17.

Digital and psychological interventions show smaller but significant effects. Universal digital mental health interventions have a small effect on depression in children/adolescents (effect size 0.06) 8. Internet-based CBT modestly reduces depression in breast cancer survivors (SMD -0.19) 13. Machine learning models moderately predict CBT outcomes (r=0.45) 16. Arts on Prescription programmes show statistically significant but clinically modest reductions 12. Primary care-based intensive psychotherapy for Karen refugees reduces inpatient costs 7.

Lifestyle and biological factors are associated with depression. Higher adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet is linked to lower depression risk 11. Gut microbiota alterations are associated with depression in inflammatory bowel disease patients 10 and in computational meta-analyses 14. Eco-anxiety shows moderate positive association with depression in young adults 5. Loneliness in younger US men is linked to depression 6. Persistent depressive trajectories affect 9% of perinatal women 15. Depression screening predicts lower quality of life in ICU survivors 24.

Key drugs in the evidence

esketamine 5 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors 2 SSRIs 1 omega-3 fatty acids 1 oxcarbazepine 1 ketamine 1 levonorgestrel 1 Rhodiola rosea 1 mirtazapine 1 norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors 1

Latest findings

AI-generated synthesis of 17 cited studies, updated Jun 12, 2026. How we use AI.

HCP Mode — summaries include clinical detail, trial data, and statistical outcomes.
Patient Mode — summaries use plain language, avoiding clinical jargon.
Exercise during adjuvant chemo reduces fatigue, depression in CRC patients
Oncology Meta-analysis
Exercise during adjuvant chemo reduces fatigue, depression in CRC patients Can exercise help during colon cancer treatment? A review finds it may ease fatigue and depression
A meta-analysis of 9 studies found exercise interventions during adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer significantly reduced fatigue (…
For colorectal cancer patients on chemotherapy, adding exercise to treatment significantly reduces crushing fatigue and lowers depression.
Mar 30, 2026
Cervical insufficiency associated with higher anxiety and depression scores in second-trimester pregnancy
Psychiatry
Cervical insufficiency associated with higher anxiety and depression scores in second-trimester pregnancy Does a pregnancy complication make anxiety and depression more likely?
An observational study of 136 second-trimester pregnant women with cervical insufficiency and 117 healthy controls found significantly highe…
Women diagnosed with cervical insufficiency in their second trimester report significantly higher anxiety and depression than those with hea…
Frontiers Mar 30, 2026
Livelihood Intervention Reduces Food Insecurity and Depression in HIV-Affected Kenyan Adolescents
Infectious Disease RCT
Livelihood Intervention Reduces Food Insecurity and Depression in HIV-Affected Kenyan Adolescents Can improving livelihoods help HIV-affected teens feel better and safer?
A Kenyan RCT found that an agricultural livelihood intervention reduced food insecurity (OR: 0.45; p=0.04) and depressive symptoms (OR: 0.53…
An agricultural program in Kenya helped HIV-affected teens feel safer by reducing food insecurity, depression, anxiety, and intimate partner…
Mar 28, 2026
Ketamine in Orthopedic Trauma: Potential to Reduce Pain and Opioid Use
Psychiatry Phase IV
Ketamine in Orthopedic Trauma: Potential to Reduce Pain and Opioid Use Could Ketamine Be the Key to Easing Pain and Healing Minds After Surgery?
This Phase 4 trial investigates ketamine's efficacy in reducing postoperative pain and opioid use in orthopedic trauma patients.
A new trial tests if giving ketamine during orthopedic surgery reduces pain, opioid needs, and symptoms of depression and PTSD compared to s…
CT.gov Mar 27, 2026
CFT Improves Depression and Emotional Eating in Severe Obesity: RCT Results
Diabetes & Endocrinology RCT
CFT Improves Depression and Emotional Eating in Severe Obesity: RCT Results Can Kindness to Yourself Help Tackle Obesity and Depression?
In a single-centre RCT with 91 participants, group-based Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) significantly improved self-compassion, mood, and …
A 10-session therapy teaching self-compassion helped people with severe obesity feel less shame, eat healthier, and improve their mood for m…
Mar 27, 2026

Questions about Depression

Do patients with perinatal depression show brain alterations compared to healthy controls?

Research shows that women with perinatal depression have measurable brain changes compared to healthy controls, including reduced activity in regulatory areas and increased activity in emotional centers.

Full answer →
What is the prevalence of perinatal depression among women in Ethiopia?

Perinatal depression affects 20.1% to 25.8% of women in Ethiopia based on pooled meta-analysis, with individual studies reporting rates up to 32.2%.

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Is there a link between polygenic risk scores and major depression with anxiety?

Yes, polygenic risk scores for major depression show stronger associations with comorbid anxiety-depression cases than with depression alone, indicating a shared genetic link.

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How do technical and behavioral factors affect blood biomarker results for depression?

Technical factors (e.g., blood collection time, season) and behavioral factors (e.g., BMI, smoking, exercise) can significantly influence blood biomarker levels, potentially affecting depression-related results.

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Are there specific blood biomarkers that predict major depression outcomes in UK Biobank?

No specific blood biomarkers have been validated to predict major depression outcomes in UK Biobank; research is ongoing.

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Can psychedelic-assisted therapy be an effective treatment option for my major depression?

A 2024 systematic review found that psychedelic-assisted therapy does not show a clear advantage over traditional antidepressants for treating major depression when both are compared in open-label trials.

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Does aerobic exercise reduce postpartum depressive symptoms and improve quality of life?

Yes, multiple meta-analyses show aerobic exercise significantly reduces postpartum depressive symptoms and improves quality of life, with moderate to large effect sizes.

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Is Zurzuvae approved by the FDA for treating postpartum depression in adults?

Yes, the FDA approved Zurzuvae (zuranolone) on August 4, 2023, for treating postpartum depression in adults.

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See all 16 questions about Depression →