Trial results for a study evaluating a web-based platform, Adhere.ly, designed to improve homework adherence during therapy for Depression and Anxiety were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-01-15. The study enrolled 79 participants, comparing standard therapy to therapy enhanced with Adhere.ly.
Background
Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health conditions often treated with psychotherapy. A key component of many therapeutic approaches involves clients practicing skills or completing 'homework' assignments between sessions. Adherence to these out-of-session tasks is widely considered crucial for maximizing treatment effectiveness and achieving positive outcomes. However, maintaining consistent engagement with homework can be challenging for clients. Digital platforms like Adhere.ly aim to address this by providing tools to facilitate client engagement and adherence to therapeutic skills practice.
Trial design
This completed study, with no specified phase, enrolled 79 participants diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression, or Depression/Anxiety. The trial's purpose was to expand Adhere.ly, a HIPAA-compliant, web-based platform, by comparing standard mental health therapy to therapy enhanced with the Adhere.ly platform. The platform is intended to help therapists engage clients in practicing therapeutic skills between sessions.
Key results
Key measurements were collected for both groups, assessing anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores:
- Clients receiving standard therapy had a mean GAD-7 score of 14.86 (Standard Deviation: 3.70) at baseline, which decreased to a mean of 8.33 (Standard Deviation: 5.23) units on a scale.
- Clients receiving therapy + Adhere.ly had a mean GAD-7 score of 12.88 (Standard Deviation: 4.82) at baseline, which decreased to a mean of 7.62 (Standard Deviation: 4.38) units on a scale.
- Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) scores:
- Clients receiving standard therapy had a mean PHQ-8 score of 12.57 (Standard Deviation: 3.98) at baseline, which decreased to a mean of 7.50 (Standard Deviation: 5.55) units on a scale.
- Clients receiving therapy + Adhere.ly had a mean PHQ-8 score of 13.80 (Standard Deviation: 5.05) at baseline, which increased to a mean of 9.19 (Standard Deviation: 6.37) units on a scale.
- Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL-14) - Healthy Mental Health Days Index:
- Clients receiving standard therapy had a mean index of 9.71 (Standard Deviation: 8.15) at baseline, which increased to a mean of 15.42 (Standard Deviation: 9.59) units on a scale.
- Clients receiving therapy + Adhere.ly had a mean index of 11.44 (Standard Deviation: 7.61) at baseline, which increased to a mean of 12.38 (Standard Deviation: 8.95) units on a scale.
What this means
The results of this trial present a mixed picture regarding the impact of Adhere.ly-enhanced therapy. While both groups showed reductions in anxiety as measured by GAD-7, with the Adhere.ly group starting lower and ending lower, the PHQ-8 scores for depression showed an increase in the Adhere.ly group from baseline to post-intervention, in contrast to the standard therapy group which saw a decrease. Similarly, the Healthy Mental Health Days Index showed an increase in healthy days for both the standard therapy group and the Adhere.ly group, though the increase was more pronounced in the standard therapy arm. These findings suggest that while a platform like Adhere.ly might support anxiety reduction, its impact on depression and overall mental health days requires further investigation to understand the observed changes and optimize its application in clinical practice.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05866185, titled "Improving Adherence to Homework During Therapy", were posted on 2026-01-15 on clinicaltrials.gov.