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Mental Health clinical trials at University of California Health

31 in progress, 18 open to eligible people

Showing trials for
  • Adolescent Acts of Kindness Intervention With Reflection

    open to eligible people ages 14-17

    Adolescents will complete a 4-week intervention, during which they will either complete a kind act for others, complete a kind act for others with a reflection component, or report their daily activities three days per week. Psychological measures will be indexed before and after the intervention.

    at UCLA

  • Biological and Behavioral Outcomes of Community Nature Walks

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The investigators will test the efficacy of our proposed intervention to reduce embodied stress in four racial/ethnic groups (Black, Latinx, Pilipinx, and Pacific Islander) as a preventative intervention for health disparities found in these communities. The intervention is comprised of two phases. The first consists of community nature walks in a pristine redwood forest for six months. This is followed by chosen nature activities with family and/or friends for three months. The investigators will test the ability of these activities in nature to reduce chronic stress that underpins many health disparities using validated biological, behavioral, and sociocultural measures. The use of these measures is in alignment with the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework, and will increase understanding of individual, interpersonal, community, and social level factors that lead to, and that can eliminate health disparities.

    at UCSF

  • Emotion-Diet Interactions in Pregnancy

    open to eligible females ages 18-40

    This study will investigate how maternal emotional state following a controlled stress exposure in pregnancy influences blood glucose and insulin levels after eating a standardized meal, and whether the effects of emotional state on blood glucose and insulin is different after eating a healthy meal (low GI) compared to a less healthy meal (high GI).

    at UC Irvine

  • Family Mental Health Family Navigator Project (FMHN)

    open to eligible people ages 6-17

    This study will focus on developing and testing a family-based mental health navigator intervention, the Family Mental Health Navigator (FMHN), to evaluate whether the intervention combined with mHealth is preliminary efficacious in improving mental health service initiation and engagement for publicly-insured youth.

    at UCSF

  • Foster Care Mental Health Family Navigator

    open to eligible people ages 12-17

    This study will focus on developing and testing a family-based mental health navigator intervention, the Foster Care Family Navigator (FCFN), to evaluate whether the intervention combined with mHealth would be efficacious in improving mental health service initiation and engagement for child welfare-involved youth.

    at UCSF

  • Healing Experiences of Adversity Among Latinos (HEALthy4You)

    open to eligible people ages 5-11

    Healing Experiences of Adversity Among Latinos (HEALthy4You) is a project funded by the California Initiative for the Advancement of Precision Medicine ("Advancing a Precision Population Health Approach to ACEs to Reduce Health Disparities"). The long-term goal of this project is to develop community-centered, culturally Appropriate, precision Interventions that can be delivered within Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHCs) for Latino Families, to reduce Adverse Child Events (ACES) risks and treat childhood obesity. UCSD in conjunction with Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) will conduct a 2x2 factorial trial with four groups meant to determine what combination of intervention components influence family protective factors (a key marker for reduced risk of the deleterious effects of systemic and family/individual stressors that are a critical part of ACEs) and childhood obesity.

    at UCSD

  • Healthcare Providers as Trusted Messengers to Increase Receipt of Tax Credits Among Low-income Families

    open to eligible people ages 18-99

    The purpose of this study is to pilot test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of healthcare provider referrals to a tax filing app within parent-child health programs to test whether such referrals can increase receipt of tax credits among low-income parents. The study will use a single-group, pre/post test design with a sample of approximately 100 women who have a child under 6 years of age. Participants will be recruited from parental-child health programs and clinics in Los Angeles and will complete surveys at baseline, immediately after tax filing season, and six months after tax filing season to assess 1) frequency of tax filing after referral (Feasibility), 2) the acceptability of the tax filing app from the perspective of users (Acceptability), and 3) pre/posttest changes to parent and child health, child development, and healthcare utilization measures for users (preliminary efficacy).

    at UCLA

  • Intervention for Virologic Suppression in Youth

    open to eligible people ages 18-29

    The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to test the effect of a technology-based intervention with an Adaptive Treatment Strategy (ATS) among youth living with HIV (YLWH) (18-29 years old). This piloted and protocolized intervention combines: (1) brief weekly sessions with a counselor via a video-chat platform (video-counseling) to discuss mental health (MH), substance use (SU), HIV care engagement, and other barriers to care; and (2) a mobile health application (app) to address barriers such as ART forgetfulness and social isolation. Individuals who are not virologically suppressed will be randomized to video-counseling+app or standard of care (SOC). Through this study, the investigators will be able to: Aim 1: Test the efficacy of video-counseling+app vs SOC on virologic suppression in YLWH.The investigators will compare HIV virologic suppression of those randomized to the intervention vs control arms at 16 weeks via an RCT. Aim 2: Assess the impact of video-counseling+app vs SOC on MH and SU in YLWH. The investigators will evaluate the MH and SU differences between the intervention vs control arms at 16 weeks via an RCT. Aim 3: Explore an ATS to individualize the intervention by assigning the: 1. virologic "non-responders" in the intervention arm to intensified video-counseling+app for 16 more weeks, 2. virologic "responders" in the intervention arm to continue only app use for 16 more weeks. Researchers will compare the characteristics of virologic responders and non-responders to the intervention, individualization of the intervention based on these variables, and linkage to MH and SU treatment services among those in need to see if delivery of care is enhanced and impact on virologic suppression.

    at UCSF

  • Mindfulness in Post Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC) Dysautonomia

    open to eligible females ages 18-54

    The current pilot study will recruit participants experiencing new, returning, or ongoing symptoms related to COVID-19 illness for at least four weeks after being first infected with SARS-CoV-2. All participants will attend a virtual 6-week course entitled Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) created, hosted and led by expert facilitators from the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). This intervention will consist of a mix of lecture, practice, group feedback, and discussion regarding mindfulness. Mindfulness is the mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present while acknowledging and accepting any feelings, thoughts, or bodily sensations. The research team will collect self-reported measures of mental health symptoms, physical health symptoms, and demographic information before and after participants attend MAPs. Objective health measures will also be collected by the research team including an active stand test, a 6-minute walk, and a blood sample.

    at UCLA

  • Mobile Web-based Behavioral Intervention for Improving Caregiver Well-being

    open to eligible people ages 40 years and up

    Caregivers suffer great amounts of distress that significantly impacts their mental and physical well-being, yet caregivers' access to quality, evidence-based care is currently very limited. The public health significance of the proposed study is that our internet and mobile-based web intervention will (1) significantly reduce caregiver distress and improve caregivers' overall well-being, and (2) dramatically increase caregivers' access to high quality, evidence-based care at relatively low cost.

    at UCSD

  • Optimizing Engagement in Services for First-Episode Psychosis

    open to eligible people ages 15-35

    This study will compare a 12-session behavioral activation (BA) intervention modified for first-episode psychosis (FEP) to usual community mental health care (i.e., treatment-as-usual; TAU) delivered over 6 months with a sample of Latinos with FEP and their families. Comparable family group sessions will also be delivered to participants in both conditions. It is expected that BA participants will show better engagement than TAU participants.

    at UCLA

  • Parenting Stress mHealth

    open to eligible people ages 12 years and up

    Parenting stress is a well-documented barrier to youth engagement in community-based substance use treatment. The current project aims to develop and evaluate a mobile health parenting stress intervention for caregivers of justice-involved youth, a population with high rates of substance use and low rates of treatment engagement.

    at UCSF

  • Race-Based Stress Trauma and Empowerment

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The existence of racially/ethnically based health disparities is well established, both within the civilian community and among Service Members and Veterans. Experiences of discrimination are acute and chronic stressors that substantially contribute to greater emotional distress, poorer health behavior, lower healthcare utilization and increased allostatic load, all of which undermine well-being, functioning and Whole Health. An innovative clinical program, the Race-Based Stress/Trauma and Empowerment (RBSTE) group, was developed to help Veterans of Color to build coping resources and empowerment. Although qualitative data suggest the promise of this intervention, systematic evaluation is lacking. The proposed feasibility project will lay the groundwork for a future randomized controlled trial to evaluate RBSTE as compared to a control group in terms of Whole Health, functioning and mental/physical wellness. The project thus begins a program of research to address the health implications of systemic racism.

    at UCSD

  • Resources, Inspiration, Support and Empowerment (RISE) for Black Pregnant Women

    open to eligible females ages 18-65

    Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) encompass a range of mental health disorders that occur during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. Approximately 13% of women experience PMADs. This rate doubles for those with adverse perinatal outcomes (APO) and triples in Black women. Recent research points to racism as one significant source of these health disparities. Cultural adaptations to improve communication with providers decrease rates of depression in minority patients as well as improve adherence to treatment, insight and alliance. Discrimination stress and worries about experiencing medical consequences are thought to increase systemic inflammation, a mechanism known to drive mental and physical symptoms. Inflammation has been implicated in both PMADs and APO, suggesting a shared underlying etiology. Evidence from our work suggests that inflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of PMADs. The proposed pilot randomized control trial will allow the investigators to build on promising preliminary results and identify whether our culturally relevant mobile Health (mHealth) intervention is effective in improving outcomes among Black pregnant women randomized to the intervention compared to a control group. The culturally relevant modules include building communication and self-advocacy skills and provide a support network. The primary objective of this research is to provide guidance for clinical care of Black women during the perinatal period, with the goal to improve mental health and physical health outcomes. A secondary goal is to examine novel inflammatory signatures that change as a function of the intervention to reduce PMADs in this population. As inflammation may be diagnostic of PMADs, identification of its role may shed light of potential intervention targets and provide critical knowledge to improve women's long-term health. PMAD symptoms will be assessed prospectively in 150 Black pregnant women, half of whom will be randomized to receive the culturally relevant mHealth intervention. The investigators hypothesize that women in the intervention group will have reduced rates of PMADs and APOs, an increase in adherence to mental health treatment and will report increased self-advocacy skills, increased communication with providers, and reduced levels of discrimination related stress. Participants will also have improved biological risk indicators including lower circulating C-reactive protein and a transcription profile of differentially expressed inflammatory genes, marked by a decreased activity of inflammatory transcription factors from blood spots. Given the high burden of both PMADs and APOs among Black mothers and the numerous consequences on maternal and child outcomes, it is imperative that investigators develop and implement effective interventions, and test the biological mechanisms that might drive these effects. This work is interdisciplinary, building on a network of community advocates to implement a novel mHealth intervention informed by real world experiences designed to enhance self-advocacy, reduce stress and prevent adverse outcomes

    at UCLA

  • TEAMS R34 #1 After-Action Reviews in Child Welfare Services

    open to eligible people ages 6 years and up

    This project proposes to improve successful mental health service linkage in Child Welfare Services (CWS) by adapting and testing the After Action Review (AAR) team effectiveness intervention to augment the Child Family Team (CFT) services intervention. Despite being both required and a collaborative approach to service planning, CFT meetings are implemented with questionable fidelity and consistency, rarely including children and families as intended. By inclusion of child and family voice, the AAR-enhanced CFT should lead to increased fidelity to the CFT intervention and greater levels of parental satisfaction with the service and shared decision-making, thus resulting in enhanced follow-through with Action Plans and linkage to mental health care for children.

    at UCSD

  • Children's Bipolar Network Treatment Trial I

    open to eligible people ages 9-19

    This is a naturalistic treatment and follow-up study of youth with bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs) across four US sites of The Childhood Bipolar Network (CBN). CBN sites have expertise in diagnosing, assessing, and treating BSDs in youth. The primary aims of this study are to (1) identify and reliably diagnose youth (ages 9 to 19 yrs) with full bipolar disorder (BD) and BSDs, and (2) examine predictors (e.g., mood instability, inflammatory marker C-reactive protein) of clinical outcome over a 12 month period. Participating youth will initially complete a screening that includes a structured diagnostic interview and a baseline blood draw to measure inflammatory processes. Youth with BSD and parents (80 families) will be asked to participate in multiple follow up research visits with interviews, rating instruments, and questionnaires. Per established CBN guidelines, study psychiatrists will provide and track medication management and sites will also track psychosocial treatments. This study ultimately aims to further understanding of best practice pediatric BSD psychiatric and psychosocial treatments and development of a standardized and validated set of clinical tools for patient assessment, diagnosis, and tracking.

    at UCLA

  • Discrimination and the Brain-Gut-Microbiome (BGM) Axis

    open to eligible females ages 18-50

    Obesity is a major public health problem related to a variety of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Prior research indicates that social stressors contribute to risk for obesity, possibly through alterations in diet and physical activity. However, it is not fully clear how these alterations contribute to obesity. The purpose of this study is to examine how the stressors of social isolation and discrimination relate to eating behaviors and dietary patterns, and further, how these behaviors affect the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) connections. This study will focus on Mexican and Filipina women because research shows that they encounter a high burden of obesity and exposure to social stressors. Approximately 300 Mexican and Filipina women will be screened and enrolled. They will then provide information about social stressors via food diaries, physical body measures (e.g. waist circumference), questionnaire data regarding diet and eating behaviors, and measures of physical activity. Stool and serum will be collected to analyze microbes and metabolomics, and MRI to assess brain changes in the reward network. Analytic techniques will be used to integrate data from these multiple data sources. This analysis will determine the unique differences associated with ethnicity and social stressors in moderating eating behaviors and dietary patterns. The results of this study will provide new information about a possible pathway whereby social stressors affect behavioral, neurological and microbiome mechanisms related to obesity risk and provide new information in BGM patterns in two understudied ethnic groups. In the long term, this research may suggest possible approaches for intervention that may help reduce inequalities in obesity and related health problems.

    at UCLA

  • Ethnic Influences on Stress, Energy Balance and Obesity in Adolescents

    open to eligible females ages 13-17

    The study will examine the mechanisms linking race, stress and biobehavioral factors to energy balance and obesity in both natural and controlled environments in African-American and Caucasian adolescent females. A Hispanic/Latina cohort has recently been added with permission for the sponsor.

    at UC Irvine

  • Black Economic Equity Movement

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The primary goal is to understand the potential impacts of Guaranteed Income (GI) on Black youth and young adults' financial, emotional, and physical well-being. The main question it aims to answer is: What are the impacts of GI on Black young adults' investments in their future, mental health and unmet mental and sexual/reproductive health service needs? Participants will receive guaranteed income for 12 months and will be offered enrollment in financial capability programs.

    at UCSF

  • By Youth, For Youth: Digital Supported Peer Navigation for Addressing Child Mental Health Inequities

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    Black and Latino youth are more likely to experience an unmet mental health or psychosocial need than do their white counterparts. Schools and primary care clinics are ideal hubs to provide mental health, healthcare, social services, and prevention to students and families who otherwise face barriers to care. Using Participatory Design and Community Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR) for app development, mobile technology is designed to optimize access to wellness resources. The proposed intervention is a model of care using technology and navigators for connecting youth ages 13-22 to mental health care and supports. The app is co-created with the community and supported by culturally responsive individuals called family and youth navigators, in schools and primary care clinics. Outcomes are measured using the cascade of care model.

    at UCLA UCSF

  • Daily Blood Glucose Trends in Patients at Risk for Diabetes

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The goal of this study is to learn about the relationship between blood sugar, diet, stress, and metabolic parameters including waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol levels and blood pressure in patients at risk for diabetes. The main questions it aims to answer are 1) are there trends in blood sugar responses after meals for patients at risk of developing diabetes? And 2) are there correlations between stress and fluctuations in blood sugar? During the first visit, participant's waist circumference, body composition, cholesterol, and resting blood pressure will be measured, and a continuous glucose monitor sensor will be placed on the participant's non-dominant arm. This sensor will be worn for seven days, and the participant will be asked to complete a daily food log during that time. Each participant will be asked to return to clinic after one week to return the continuous glucose monitor and daily food log.

    at UCLA

  • Mindfulness in Woman With a History of Child Adversity

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The aim of this pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is to test whether brief mindfulness-based practices will improve well-being and health in women (age 30-50) with a history of early life adversity. Following a baseline visit (remotely via Zoom), participants are randomized (50% probability) to either a Mindful Activity group or a Mindful Awareness group. In the Mindful Activity group, participants will complete brief (approximately 5-10 min) audio-guided mindfulness practices twice a day (morning and evening) for 8 weeks using the study app. This is followed by a brief survey about their current thoughts and feelings. In the Mindful Awareness group, participants are asked to be mindful (pay attention) to their thoughts and feelings twice a day (morning and evening) for 8 weeks using the study app. After the 8-week intervention period, all participants complete a follow-up visit (remotely). Primary goals of the pilot RCT are to test acceptability, feasibility, and adherence.

    at UCSF

  • Lifestyle Intervention for CHR-P

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    The present study will assess the feasibility and social validity of an adjunctive health promotion group for youth and clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). Youth participating in treatment at the Center for the Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal Sates (CAPPS) will be invited to participate in a weekly, adjunctive, closed psychoeducation group focused on sharing health promotion strategies and increasing health behaviors (e.g. improved sleep habits, increased participation in physical activity). The aim of the group will be to provide psychoeducation on lifestyle risk and protective factors for youth at risk for psychosis (i.e. experiencing subthreshold psychosis symptoms). Topics covered will include psychoeducation, goal setting, stress management, sleep, physical activity, substance use, and nutrition. Evidence-based strategies to decrease risk factors and promote protective lifestyle factors for mental illness will be reviewed. Group leaders will utilize a motivational interviewing approach to facilitate the group. The group will complete nine weekly group sessions. The goal of our research is to 1) determine the feasibility of a novel group-based health promotion intervention, 2) assess the social validity of the group, 3) measure the effects of the intervention on stress, sleep, physical activity, substance use, and nutrition, and 4) measure preliminary effects on symptoms and functioning.

    at UCLA

  • Fuerte Program for Newcomer Immigrant Youth

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    The present study is a randomized control trial to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of a school-based group prevention program (Fuerte) in San Francisco Unified School District Public Schools. In addition, the present study will also inform effective procedures for adaptations of the Fuerte program for other newcomer immigrant youth from non-Latin American countries. Fuerte targets newcomer Latinx immigrant youth (five years or less post arrival in the U.S.) who are at risk of experiencing traumatic stress. In particular, the Fuerte program focuses on increasing youth's mental health literacy, improving their social functioning, and identifying and connecting at-risk youth to specialty mental health services. The program will be implemented by mental health providers from various county community-based organizations, as well as from the SFUSD Wellness Centers, who already offer mental health services in SFUSD schools.

    at UCSF

  • Getting INFORMED and Living Well Among Asian Americans in California

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The project is to facilitate pandemic recovery by promoting emotional wellness among Asian Californians. The intervention includes a 6-week program in which participants may choose to receive text only or text + Lay Health Worker outreach targeting 600 self-identified Asian Americans residing in California who speak/read English, Chinese, Korean, Hmong, or Vietnamese.

    at UC Davis UCSF

  • Intergenerational Transmission of Traumatic Stress

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Millions of U.S. parents have experienced trauma, putting them at risk for maladaptive parenting practices, which then confer vulnerabilities to their children. This study aims to enhance understanding of how parental emotional dysregulation associated with traumatic stress impedes effective parenting. The study employs neurophysiological methods (electroencephalogram; EEG) to address some of the challenges inherent in the study of emotion (particularly in trauma-exposed individuals) and to identify potential biomarkers of traumatic stress and response to intervention.

    at UCLA

  • ObeSity and Jobs in SoCioeconomically Disadvantaged CommUnities: A Randomized CLinical Precision Public HealTh Intervention --The SCULPT-Job Study

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This is an interventional research study about clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral factors that impact weight loss, weight maintenance, and cardiovascular disease in socially disadvantaged persons.

    at UCSF

  • Refining and Implementing Technology-Enhanced Family Navigation to Promote Early Access and Engagement With Mental Health Services for Youth With Autism

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This project, Refining and Implementing Technology-Enhanced Family Navigation to Promote Early Access and Engagement with Mental Health Services for Youth with Autism (ATTAIN NAV) is focused on adapting and implementing family navigation in primary care settings to help accelerate and facilitate engagement in mental health and community services for children with autism and their families.

    at UCSD

  • Stress & Resilience Study

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    Goal 1: The investigators will quantify lifetime stress burden and examine mechanisms linking Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and health. The investigators will quantify the early life and total lifetime stress burden of a representative sample of about 725 adults (aged 18+) across northern and southern California. In addition, the investigators will examine how prior life stress exposure and current stress levels are associated with differences in psychosocial, immune, metabolic, physiologic, and clinical outcomes for all participants at baseline. Goal 2: The investigators will develop and test a biopsychosocial intervention using existing programs, platforms, resources, and core components from trauma and resilience research that will target five stress-related domains (i.e., cognitive response style, social relationships, eating, sleep, and physical activity) using cognitive restructuring and mindfulness, interpersonal skills training, mindful eating training, sleep training, and behavioral activation/mobility training. The investigators will then assess the efficacy and acceptability of the intervention in about 425 high stress exposure participants from Goal 1. Following their baseline assessment, about 425 participants will be randomly assigned to receive for 12 weeks (a) personalized intervention, (b) environmental education (active control) or (c) nothing (non-active control). The investigators will also assess the efficacy of the personalized intervention by comparing changes in outcomes by condition from baseline (prior to randomization) to immediately after the intervention, and then again after 12 weeks following intervention completion. The interventions will be entirely online/remote.

    at UCLA UCSF

  • VR Mindfulness Study

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    This is an exploratory study investigating the use of virtual reality-based guided mindfulness meditation in improving pain, stress, and mood within various clinical populations. The feasibility of utilizing VR applications within the populations of patients with various specific disease types and clinical settings is a burgeoning area of research. The goal is to establish an association between the use of VR-based mindfulness meditation, and pain, stress, and mood scores.

    at UCLA

  • Supportive Housing on COVID-19 Related Outcomes for People Experiencing Homelessness

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This study aims to understand the comparative effectiveness of two PSH models (PB-PSH and SS-PSH) on quality of life and COVID-19 related health behaviors by following for 6 months a cohort of 800 PEH who have been placed in either PB (n=400) or SS (n=400). In a natural observational experiment, participants will complete 6 monthly mobile-based questionnaires exploring quality of life including physical, mental, social, and housing/environmental health, COVID-19 prevention practices (i.e., handwashing, social distancing, face covering), and past-30-day healthcare utilization. A sub-sample of 40 participants living in both PB-PSH and SS-PSH will be qualitatively interviewed longitudinally to help contextualize quantitative findings. Focus groups will also be conducted with providers of PSH and qualitative interviews will be conducted with other key stakeholders to understand perspectives on the challenges of implementing and sustaining COVID-19 related prevention practices while maintaining a continuity of care.

    at UCLA

Our lead scientists for Mental Health research studies include .

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