Personalized lifestyle support with an app for adults seeing their GP for depression symptoms

A Personalized Lifestyle Intervention for Depression Symptomatology in General Practice - a Cluster Randomized Multicenter Trial

NA · Radboud University Medical Center · NCT07022184

This study tests whether a smartphone app that supports personalized lifestyle changes can help reduce depression symptoms for adults who visit their GP.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment216 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorRadboud University Medical Center (other)
Locations3 sites (Nijmegen, Gelderland and 2 other locations)
Trial IDNCT07022184 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Adults presenting to general practice with depressive symptoms are randomized by clinic to receive either usual care or usual care plus a personalized lifestyle intervention delivered via a smartphone app. App users complete a questionnaire covering six themes (mental wellbeing, substance use, social relationships, healthy eating, sleep, and physical activity), set personal goals, and receive tailored guidance and self-monitoring prompts. Outcomes include changes in depression symptoms over time and cost-effectiveness compared with usual care alone. The trial is conducted in multiple Dutch academic centers and embedded in routine primary-care settings.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults who currently have symptoms of depression and have been receiving treatment for this episode from their GP for less than six months, who speak Dutch and own a smartphone, are the intended participants.

Not a fit: People with severe mental illness (e.g., psychosis or bipolar disorder), severe substance addiction requiring specialist care, high suicide risk, moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment, or those without a smartphone or sufficient Dutch are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the app could reduce depressive symptoms by helping people make and sustain healthy lifestyle changes while increasing the reach and cost-effectiveness of primary care treatment.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows lifestyle changes and digital interventions can help mild-to-moderate depression, but few cluster-randomized trials have tested a personalized lifestyle app embedded in general practice.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Currently experiencing an episode of symptoms of depression and receiving treatment for this episode from their GP or GP-MHW for less than six months
* Have a smartphone
* Be proficient in Dutch

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe mental illness (such as psychosis or bipolar disorder)
* Severe alcohol or drug addiction requiring specialized secondary care
* High suicide risk
* moderate to severe cognitive impairment (as determined by the GP)

Patients who visit their GP for depressive symptoms but with a PHQ-9 of \<5 at baseline are allowed to use the PLI, but will not be included in the primary analysis.

Where this trial is running

Nijmegen, Gelderland and 2 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Depressive/Anxiety Symptoms, Depressive Disorder, Personalized lifestyle intervention, eHealth, Measurement-based care, Depression symptomatology, Cluster randomized trial, General practice

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.