Clinical trials

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can reduce depressive symptoms in women who are pregnant or up to 12 months after childbirth and have peripartum depression. rTMS is a non-invasive treatment in which a device placed on the scalp delivers gentle magnetic pulses to a brain area involved in mood regulation. It does not involve medication or anaesthesia. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does active rTMS reduce depressive symptoms more than sham rTMS? * What side effects occur during treatment, and how well is rTMS tolerated? * Are improvements in depressive symptoms still present one month after treatment? Researchers will compare active rTMS with sham rTMS, a treatment designed to feel and sound similar but not to provide effective brain stimulation. Neither participants nor the clinicians assessing depressive symptoms will know which treatment was assigned during the main study phase. Up to 60 women aged 18 years or older who are pregnant or up to 12 months after childbirth and have clinically relevant depressive symptoms may take part. Participants will: * Attend a screening and baseline visit, including questionnaires, EEG and ECG recordings, and collection of small hair and sputum samples to study stress-related hormone levels * Be assigned by chance to receive either active rTMS or sham rTMS * Attend 30 treatment sessions, scheduled flexibly over approximately 1.5 to 10 weeks to accommodate childcare, breastfeeding, fatigue, and medical appointments * Complete questionnaires about mood, wellbeing, quality of life, social support, and treatment expectations before and after treatment * Have safety and side effects checked before each treatment session * Complete a telephone follow-up assessment one month after treatment * Be asked to complete a short questionnaire about their child's development one year after treatment Each treatment visit lasts about 30 minutes, including preparation, treatment, and a short safety check. Infants may be brought to treatment visits when this can be done safely. rTMS is generally well tolerated. Possible temporary side effects include headache, scalp discomfort, facial muscle twitching during stimulation, dizziness, or tiredness. A seizure is a very rare but serious possible risk; therefore, people with epilepsy, certain implants, or other relevant risk factors cannot take part. Participation is voluntary. Participants can pause or stop participation at any time without affecting their usual care. Personal data will be coded and handled confidentially. Women assigned to sham treatment will be offered active rTMS after the blinded study phase, if they wish. The results may help clarify whether rTMS is an effective non-medication treatment option for peripartum depression.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a therapist-guided virtual reality (VR)-based intervention can improve emotion regulation in adolescents receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment. The study will also assess the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of the intervention, as well as explore factors that may predict treatment response. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the VR-based intervention improve emotion regulation compared with a VR relaxation control intervention? Does the intervention reduce sensory sensitivities, anxiety, and related psychological symptoms? Which behavioral, physiological, and speech-based measures are associated with treatment response? Researchers will compare a personalized VR exposure intervention with a VR relaxation control intervention. Both groups will receive treatment as usual during their inpatient stay. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to either the VR exposure or the VR relaxation group. Complete questionnaires, behavioral tasks, and clinical assessments before and after the intervention, with a follow-up assessment approximately three months later. Participate in weekly therapist-guided VR sessions throughout their inpatient treatment. Complete additional assessments including speech recordings and standardized behavioral tasks to investigate predictors and mechanisms of treatment response. Throughout the study, participants will be monitored for adverse events and tolerability of the VR intervention.

The main aim of this project is to improve waiting periods for specialised psychotherapy. We will apply a brief, smartphone-based self-efficacy training to patients with psychiatric disorders waiting for specialised psychotherapy. Additionally, we will use Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to assess mood, social contacts, and other parameters daily. We will investigate whether the training can improve self-efficacy and related constructs and if it can help reduce stress and waitlist drop-outs during waiting periods. Additionally, we will investigate if the self-efficacy training has a positive effect on motivation and therapeutical relationship regarding the subsequent therapy. After a screening for eligibility, participants will be randomly assigned to intervention and control group. At baseline, participants attend a laboratory session where they are assessed for current psychiatric disorders and further relevant psychological variables. They will then either participate in the digital self-efficacy training combined with EMA (intervention group) or in EMA only (control group). Both will be conducted via a smartphone app. Subsequently, participants will be asked to fill in post questionnaires at three different time points: after having finished app usage, one month later, and after the beginning of the subsequent psychotherapy.