Supplementing Inpatient Behavioral Activation Group Psychotherapy

Part of paid clinical trials in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Sponsor
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Study ID
NCT07611916
Status
Enrolling By Invitation

Conditions

  • Depressed
  • Suicide Ideation

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Behavioral Activation — BEHAVIORAL
    This intervention has a mobile app that corresponds to the treatment received during the inpatient stay, which has not been done before.

Study Details

This study will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a behavioral activation intervention designed for adults hospitalized on an inpatient psychiatric unit. The intervention includes two connected components: (1) a brief inpatient behavioral activation group delivered during hospitalization by unit staff (which is delivered to everyone as part of standard clinical care and not considered part of the study) and (2) a smartphone application that supports behavioral activation skills practice during the first 28 days after discharge. Behavioral activation is a psychological treatment that aims to increase engagement in meaningful and rewarding activities and reduce patterns of avoidance that can worsen mental health symptoms. The intervention was designed specifically for the short length of stay and group-based structure typical of psychiatric inpatient care in the United States. Participants will be recruited from an adult inpatient psychiatric unit at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. The study uses an open trial design where there is no control group. Participants in the intervention condition will receive the behavioral activation group plus access to the smartphone application after discharge. Participants will complete self-report assessments during hospitalization and throughout a 6-month follow-up period. During the first 28 days after discharge, participants will also complete smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments multiple times per day. Outcomes include depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, functioning, behavioral activation, emergency department visits, psychiatric readmission, outpatient treatment engagement, and intervention feasibility and acceptability.

Key Dates

Start date
Apr 22, 2026
Status verified
May 2026
Primary completion
Oct 31, 2026
Completion
Apr 30, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
30 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Treatment as usual (TAU) + ecological momentary intervention (EMI)
    The intervention consists of a mobile app that allows skills practice after discharge, which maps on to the behavioral activation content delivered during the inpatient stay.

Primary Outcome Measure

Behavioral activation measured using the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS) [ Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the three-month follow-up period ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Rutgers University Behavioral HealthcarePiscatawayNew Jersey08854-

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