Trial results for a pilot study investigating healthcare provider referrals to a tax filing app, which included an assessment of Depression, were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-09-22. The study observed a reduction in the number of parents with positive depression scores, from 8 at baseline to 1 at 9 months.
Background
Depression is a common mental health condition that can significantly impact individuals and families, particularly in low-income settings where financial stressors are prevalent. Economic hardship and stress can exacerbate mental health challenges, affecting both parents and child development. Interventions that address underlying social determinants of health, such as financial stability, may indirectly improve mental well-being and overall health outcomes. This study explored the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of healthcare provider referrals to a tax filing app, hypothesizing that increased access to tax credits could alleviate financial stress and potentially influence related health indicators like depression.
Trial design
This completed pilot study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 21 participants. The study utilized a single-group, pre/post test design to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of healthcare provider referrals to a tax filing app within parent-child health programs. Participants were recruited from parental-child health programs and clinics in Los Angeles. The study focused on several conditions, including Depression, Child Development, Stress, Physical Illness, and Health Care Utilization, with surveys administered at baseline, immediately after tax filing season, and six months after tax filing season.
Key results
The trial results included several key measurements:
- Rate of Tax Filing at 3 Months: 8 participants in the Intervention group filed taxes.
- Rate of Tax Filing at 9 Months: 8 participants in the Intervention group filed taxes.
- Number of Parents With Positive Depression Score at Baseline: 8 participants in the Intervention group had a positive depression score.
- Number of Parents With Positive Depression Score at 9 Months: 1 participant in the Intervention group had a positive depression score.
- Number of Children With Excellent or Very Good Responses Ratings on Child Development at 9 Months: 6 participants had children with excellent or very good development ratings.
What this means
The posted results suggest a potential positive impact on parental depression scores within the studied low-income population. The reduction from 8 parents with positive depression scores at baseline to 1 parent at 9 months following the intervention, which involved referrals to a tax filing app, indicates a notable improvement in mental well-being. While this was a pilot study with a small sample size and no control group, the findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving financial stability, such as facilitating access to tax credits, may have beneficial spillover effects on mental health outcomes like depression. Additionally, the study noted that 6 children had excellent or very good responses ratings on child development at 9 months, which could be an indirect benefit of reduced parental stress.
Source
The information for these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05612685, titled "Healthcare Providers as Trusted Messengers to Increase Receipt of Tax Credits Among Low-income Families", were posted on 2025-09-22 on clinicaltrials.gov.