King's College London

This study has now completed recruitment. 

What is the study about?

Finding a treatment for depression that works is currently based on trial and error, because some treatments work for some individuals, but not others. The aim of this study is to find better ways to predict how well a treatment works for a particular person (i.e. predicts response to treatment). We have previously found some psychological tests and brain scans that could be useful in predicting response to treatment. So far, no one has combined these to see whether they could be practically useful in the NHS.

What would you have to do?

When agreeing to participate, you would be invited for an in-depth assessment at King’s College London. This could be face-to-face or online. During this session, you will be asked questions about psychiatric, medical and neurological symptoms. We would also do some computer testing, exploring your cognitive, emotional and social skills.

Following this assessment, you would then be invited to take part in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session, lasting around one hour. There is no radiation, injections or any other medical procedure involved, and if all precautions are taken, there are no known long-term risks of the imaging procedure. This session will take place at King’s College London.

We would then ask you to make an appointment with your GP to review your current antidepressant medication. After you have discussed a potential change in medication, we will schedule a final assessment similar to your first where we evaluate your mental health, about four months after your initial session.

What are the benefits for you?

There are no direct benefits for you. It is you who will benefit the progress of medical research. You can make an important contribution to a better understanding of depression and its treatment by participating in our research project. However, we can reimburse your time taken. Moreover, we will write a short report on the results of the diagnostic interviews, which we have carried out, to you and your GP/responsible clinician. A limited assessment of the MRI scans will be performed by a neuroradiologist and identification of a major abnormality that requires action will be reported to the GP you specify on your MRI consent form. You will also receive an electronic copy of your MRI scan if you wish.

If you are interested in participating, please contact us by email or phone, or complete the online pre-assessment below.

Some of the requirements you could already check for yourself:

You need to:

• Have tried at least two antidepressants and are looking to review your current medication
• Have no personal history of bipolar or psychotic disorders
• Have no current or history of neurological disorders
• Be 18 years or older
• Be able to have an MRI scan
• Have no current or history of substance or alcohol abuse

If you suffer from depression and would like to see if you are eligible to take part, click this link to complete the online pre-assessment.

We are also seeking volunteers who never had depression to compare psychological tests and brain scans with those who are suffering from depression.

What would you have to do?

Participate in a psychiatric assessment and computer tests, followed by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session.

What are the benefits for you?

There are no direct benefits for you. It is you who will benefit the progress of medical research. You can make an important contribution to a better understanding of depression and its treatment by participating in our research project. However, we can reimburse your time taken and we will give you access to the results of all tests performed, including an electronic copy of your MRI scan if you wish.

If you are interested in participating, please contact us by email or phone, or complete the online pre-assessment below.

Some of the requirements you could already check for yourself:

• Have no personal or family history of major depression, bipolar or psychotic disorders
• Have no current or history of neurological disorders
• Be 18 years or older
• Be able to have an MRI scan
• Have no current or history of substance or alcohol abuse

If you have never had depression and would like to see if you are eligible to take part, click this link to complete the online pre-assessment.