UK clinical trials - updated daily from ClinicalTrials.gov
Find clinical trials for depression in the United Kingdom. Explore treatment pathways including medications, psychotherapy, and novel therapies like psilocybin and ketamine.
Depression affects ~1 in 6 people in the UK at some point in their lives. It goes beyond normal sadness - causing persistent low mood, loss of interest, sleep problems, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Most people respond to treatment, but ~30% have treatment-resistant depression (failure of 2+ antidepressants). Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Step 1: Psychological therapy (CBT, counselling) for mild depression. Step 2: SSRI antidepressant (sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram) ± therapy. Step 3: Switch antidepressant or add (mirtazapine augmentation, SNRIs). Step 4: For treatment-resistant depression: esketamine nasal spray (Spravato) with oral antidepressant, lithium augmentation, or atypical antipsychotic augmentation (aripiprazole, quetiapine). For severe treatment-resistant cases: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains highly effective.
Exciting new approaches: psilocybin-assisted therapy (Phase 2/3 trials showing rapid, sustained antidepressant effects), ketamine/esketamine (already approved for TRD), neuromodulation (TMS - transcranial magnetic stimulation, now available on NHS for TRD), digital therapeutics (NHS-approved apps for depression), and precision psychiatry (matching patients to treatments based on genetic/biomarker profiles).
The UK is a global leader in depression research. Active trials include: psilocybin therapy (COMPASS Pathways, Imperial College), novel rapid-acting antidepressants, digital CBT and AI-guided therapy, anti-inflammatory agents for depression, gut-brain axis interventions, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and brain stimulation personalisation. The NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme supports research integration.
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