An interventional study of Expressive Art Therapy and Usual Care in Depression - Major Depressive Disorder, sponsored by Ningbo University. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 16 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-05.
Sponsored by Ningbo University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether expressive arts therapy works to treat major depressive disorder in adults. It will also learn about the safety and feasibility of expressive arts therapy. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Researchers will compare expressive arts therapy with a control condition (such as usual care or a waitlist control) to see whether expressive arts therapy works to treat major depressive disorder.
Participants will:
8,577 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,720 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 120 is above the median of 81 across 7,063 interventional studies indexed under Depression.
Browse Depression studies →Ningbo University is the lead sponsor of 6 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
1. Male or female, aged between 16 and 60 years. 2. Clinically diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). 3. Score of ≥ 9 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) at baseline screening.
4. Currently receiving or taking antidepressant medication. 5. May have comorbid anxiety symptoms, but must have no history of alcohol or substance dependence.
6. Willing to participate in the study and able to provide written (for participants under 18, parental/guardian consent is required)
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Behavioral: Usual Care
Behavioral: Expressive Art Therapy
Participants in this group will receive structured expressive arts therapy sessions two or three times per week for 2 to 3 weeks. The sessions will be delivered by trained therapists, integrating various art modalities to help participants express emotions and process depressive experiences. Participants will complete questionnaires about depressive symptoms, alexithymia, and positive psychological capital at scheduled intervals, and keep a diary of their mood and therapy-related experiences.
Participants in the control group will receive their usual care for major depressive disorder, which may include standard pharmacotherapy and/or routine outpatient counseling. They will not receive expressive arts therapy during the study period. Participants will complete questionnaires about depressive symptoms, alexithymia, and positive psychological capital at the same scheduled intervals as the intervention group, and keep a diary of their mood.
Change from baseline in depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Depressive symptoms will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 consists of 9 items, with a total score ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms. The outcome evaluates the change in total score from baseline to mid-intervention, end of intervention, and 2-week follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline up to Week 5 (including a 2- to 3-week intervention period and a 2-week follow-up)
Change from baseline in anxiety symptoms measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
Anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the GAD-7 scale, with a total score ranging from 0 to 21 (higher scores indicate more severe symptoms). Assessments will be conducted at baseline, mid-intervention, end of intervention, and at a 2-week follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline up to Week 5 (including a 2- to 3-week intervention period and a 2-week follow-up)
Change from baseline in alexithymia measured by the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)
Alexithymia will be assessed using the TAS-20, with a total score ranging from 20 to 100 (higher scores indicate greater severity). Assessments will be conducted at baseline, mid-intervention, end of intervention, and at a 2-week follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline up to Week 5 (including a 2- to 3-week intervention period and a 2-week follow-up)
Change from baseline in positive psychological capital measured by the Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PPQ)
Positive psychological capital will be assessed using the PPQ. Higher total scores indicate higher levels of positive psychological capital. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, mid-intervention, end of intervention, and at a 2-week follow-up.
Time frame: Baseline up to Week 5 (including a 2- to 3-week intervention period and a 2-week follow-up)
No study locations are listed for this record.
Start is estimated for Nov 2026; primary completion for Jan 2029, 25 months later.
Of 3,468 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Depression, half reached primary completion within 21 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 41. This study's planned 25 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 3,566 studies reached it within 21 months; a quarter within 9 and three quarters within 41.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Ningbo University