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Transforming the understanding
and treatment of mental illnesses.

Studies Recruiting Only Women

Mental disorders affect women and men differently — some disorders are more common in women or may be characterized by different symptoms in women and men. Learn more about women and mental health.

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For opportunities to participate in NIMH research on the NIH campus, visit the clinical research website. Travel and lodging assistance may be available.

Featured Studies

Featured studies include only those currently recruiting participants. Studies with the most recent start date appear first.


Prenatal Yoga to Prevent Postpartum Depression 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: October 31, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , f
Location(s): Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, United States

Although psychological interventions exist for the prevention of PPD, a yoga-based intervention to prevent PPD among at-risk women utilizes a similar theoretical foundation (i.e., mindfulness), may be more acceptable to women of minority status, and may confer additional physical activity benefits. The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the effectiveness of using a virtually delivered prenatal yoga intervention for the prevention of PPD among at-risk women in a diverse health care system and explore preliminary factors which influence implementation of the intervention. This study has 2 phases: Phase 1 will evaluate facilitators and barriers to intervention implementation among patient, clinician, and health system stakeholders, followed by an open trial, and Phase 2 will include conducting an 8-session pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed prenatal yoga intervention among women with a history of depression, as well as the onset and course of PPD and mediating factors. The specific aims are to: 1) Optimize delivery of a yoga intervention within a healthcare system to prevent PPD through examining facilitators and barriers of implementation, 2) Examine feasibility, acceptability and satisfaction of the intervention within a health care system, and 3) Evaluate preliminary effectiveness of the intervention on PPD and proposed mechanisms. For Phase 1, separate focus groups with patient stakeholders and clinician and administrative stakeholders will inform intervention implementation, and an open trial to refine and optimize the intervention. For Phase 2, women with a history of depression who are 8-28 weeks pregnant will be randomized to the intervention group (n=24) or treatment-as-usual (n=24) and will complete survey measures at baseline, post-intervention, and 1 and 3 months postpartum. It is hypothesized that the intervention will be feasible and acceptable, engage women of racial/ethnic minority status, and contribute to lower rates of PPD onset. Embodiment and mindfulness are the proposed mediators. Knowledge gained from this study can support prevention efforts for PPD and improve the adverse public health impact of this disorder.


Ovarian Hormone Withdrawal, Anhedonia, and Reward Sensitivity in Women With Premenstrual Exacerbations of Depression 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: September 2, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 45 Years, f
Location(s): University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how hormonal changes over the menstrual cycle affect mood symptoms in reproductive-aged women with depression that worsens during the premenstrual period. The main questions it aims to answer are:

--How do fluctuations in estradiol and progesterone across the menstrual cycle affect the ability to experience pleasure and the neural sensitivity to reward in hormone-sensitive, depressed women? And consequently, how does stabilizing the luteal phase decline in estrogen and progesterone (using estradiol patches and progesterone pills) affect these changes?

Participants will:

* Receive hormones followed by placebo, or vice versa, for a total of four weeks across three menstrual cycles * Complete daily mood ratings * Collect home urine samples for hormone testing * Complete five biobehavioral testing sessions during which neural responses are recorded (via electroencephalography, or EEG) during an acute stress task and computer tasks


Striving Towards EmPowerment and Medication Adherence R01 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: August 19, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , f
Location(s): University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States

This is a study for Black women living with HIV to test a counseling program for Black women living with HIV. This participant may be a good fit if the participant is a Black woman, living with HIV, has a history of trauma, and is currently taking Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) medicines


A Text Messaging Intervention to Reduce Perinatal Depression Risk 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: July 25, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 16 Years to 45 Years, f
Location(s): UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Development and preliminary testing of a text messaging intervention that will reduce the risk of a major depressive episode and worsening depressive symptoms in perinatal individuals. The system will screen pregnant individuals, send tailored text messages with links to enhanced content, and will include a peer chat function.This accessible text platform will leverage both the ease of use inherent in text messages and the power of enhanced content drawn evidence from based behavioral interventions (Interpersonal Therapy).


An HIV Status-neutral Microeconomic Intervention 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: June 7, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , t
Location(s): Ruth Ellis Center, Highland Park, Michigan, United States

The aim is the current study is to establish feasibility and acceptability of the SeCuRE intervention to improve HIV prevention and care continua outcomes. To meet this aim, the study has the following objectives:

1. To deliver a two-armed pilot RCT of the SeCuRE intervention with 40 transgender women of color. 2. The determine acceptability of the intervention with transgender women of color.


Suicide Prevention Integration Into Task-shifted Mental Health Interventions 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: May 13, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , t
Location(s): Islamabad Capital Territory, Islamabad, Pakistan

Investigators will conduct a pilot clinical trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a Suicide Prevention Package (SuPP) within an existing task-shifted depression intervention in rural Pakistan. This pilot research lays the groundwork for a future project to scale a package for multi-level suicide prevention strategies that can be integrated into community based mental health programs, particularly targeting individuals living in low-resourced settings. As the model is designed to be easily adapted and integrated, investigators anticipate the findings will be valuable for all researchers looking to improve population health and mental health services in disadvantaged settings.


ASHA Bangladesh--Integrated Intervention to Address Poverty and Depression 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: March 15, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 75 Years, t
Location(s): International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to compare the impact of an integrated intervention combining poverty alleviation and depression treatment to depression treatment alone, in low income rural Bangladeshi women with depression. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: 1) whether adding poverty alleviation to depression treatment in an integrated intervention improves depression outcomes at 24 months, as assessed by depressive symptoms and by the presence or absence of relapse; and 2) whether adding poverty alleviation to depression treatment improves implementation outcomes including treatment uptake and retention. Participants in both arms will participate in interviews at 6,12,18 and 24 months.


Center M: Digital Health Innovation Pilot 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: February 15, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 50 Years, t
Location(s): Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States

Center M is a digital health solution to Perinatal Depression (PD) which provides an alternative to Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy - Perinatal Depression (MBCT-PD). Center M shifts treatment to a telehealth model, reduces the number of sessions, and transitions home practice materials to a digital format. This study will include a clinical trial in which participants will be randomized to the Center M treatment with smartphone app delivery of homework compared to treatment as usual (TAU).


Social Media as a Risk Tool for HIV Prevention Needs 

Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
Start Date: February 1, 2024
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 24 Years, t
Location(s): KEMRI, Kisumu, Kenya

The impact of effective HIV prevention tools is limited because many people do not know that they are at risk for HIV acquisition, despite the availability of various risk assessment scores and criteria. This proposal aims to use a novel data science approach to assessing HIV prevention needs among 400 young women in Kisumu, Kenya- namely, topic modeling and network analysis of text and/or social media messages (e.g., WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter). The study will involve in-depth assessment of relevant ethical and logistical factors to ensure appropriate and optimized use of a sentiment analysis tool for implementation in routine clinical care.


Changes in Inhibition and Valuation After Eating 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: December 12, 2023
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 45 Years, t
Location(s): Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States

An impaired ability to exert control has been implicated in bulimia nervosa (BN), but this impairment may not represent a stable trait or be the most effective focus for treatment. This project aims to understand how predictions and value-based decisions about control may be abnormally influenced by eating in individuals with BN, thereby maintaining cycles of binge eating, purging, and restriction.


Response to Acute Exercise in Eating Disorders 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: November 2, 2023
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 16 Years to 25 Years, t
Location(s): University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States

Individuals with eating disorders (ED) represent a high-priority clinical population, with among the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder, and driven exercise (DEx) is a symptom evidenced in up to 80% of those with EDs that increases impairment and negatively impacts treatment outcome. This study will develop tasks to characterize cognitive, affective, and biological response to exercise among adolescent and young adult females with EDs and determine whether acute exercise response associates with free-living activity and DEx. This R21 project will provide foundational data to guide research and development of treatments that are more precisely targeted to the symptom of driven exercise and to ultimately improve clinical outcomes associated with EDs.


Study of a Single Dose of Pretomanid Added to an Optimized Background Regimen in Children With Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: October 3, 2023
Eligibility: FEMALEs, to 17 Years, f
Location(s): Site 31790, Desmond Tutu TB Centre (DTTC) CRS, Cape Town, South Africa; Site 5115, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University NICHD CRS, Bangkok Noi, Thailand; Site 31929, Sizwe CRS, Johannesburg, South Africa; Site 31976, PHRU Matlosana CRS, Klerksdorp, North West Province, South Africa

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, tolerability, and acceptability of a single dose of pretomanid, added to an optimized background tuberculosis treatment regimen (OBR), in children with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).


Treatment of Post-partum Depression Using an Behavioral Intervention Called ROSE (Reach Out, Stay Strong, Essentials for Mothers of Newborns) Delivered Using an Electronic App 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: July 17, 2023
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , f
Location(s): University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States

A randomized trial of pregnant people at risk for postpartum depression comparing the InBloom app (n = 76) to ROSE (n = 76; weekly scheduled group), and two control groups. We will assess Depression at baseline and 1, 2 and 3 months, ROI at 3 months, Satisfaction at 1 and 3 months and Perceived Access at 1 and 3 months. Subject participation will last up to 8 months (minimum 17 weeks pregnant through 3 months postpartum).


Virtual Patient Navigation During a Pandemic 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: June 29, 2023
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , t
Location(s): Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

The sub-study will involve a rigorous mixed-methods design. The qualitative phase of the sub-study will consist of semi-structured interviews. During the semi-structured interviews, 10 eligible women will be recruited to identify barriers and facilitators to accessing virtual mental health services. This information will be used to adapt an evidence-based patient navigation intervention for virtual use and an engagement measure. For the intervention phase of the sub-study, 30 women with persistent postpartum depression symptoms will be recruited to participate in the adapted virtual navigator program using rapid cycle testing over a 2-month period.


1MoreStep: An Intervention to Increase HIV Care Engagement and Reduce Intimate Partner Violence Among Black Women Living With HIV 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: June 26, 2023
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , f
Location(s): Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

This study tests a 5-session cognitive behavioral approach program (herein referred to as the 1MoreStep intervention) to train Black women living with HIV (LWH) and exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) in the past 2 years (hereafter, BWLWHI) in: 1) cognitive and behavioral skills to access internal and external sources of strength (e.g. self-reliance, safety net); safety strategies, knowledge about Undetectable = Untransmissible (U=U) and HIV care; and reduce internalized and anticipated stigma; 2) communication skills to respond to enacted HIV and IPV stigma and enlist social support; and 3) addressing structural barriers to HIV care engagement with an HIV navigator component. The intervention is informed by the HIV-Stigma Framework and a resilient-reintegration model which views women as active participants in responding to IPV and managing life with HIV.

Aim 1: Examine preliminary efficacy of the 1MoreStep intervention on: (a) IPV safety strategies (informal and formal resources, safety planning, and placating strategies at baseline, 3-month and 6-month follow-up visits); and (b) HIV care engagement (medical record confirmed visit with an HIV care provider, antiretroviral therapy (ART) prescription, medication adherence, and viral load status during 3-month and 6-month follow-up visits).

Aim 2: Examine the acceptability and feasibility of the 1MoreStep intervention operationalized by (a) quantitative measures: session attendance and fidelity to key intervention components and (b) qualitative interviews to assess: program fit, facilitators and barriers to participation, and using 1MoreStep intervention skills.


Friendship Bench Mental Health Intervention for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in South African PrEP Delivery Settings 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: April 24, 2023
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 25 Years, f
Location(s): Wits Reproductive Health Institute, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) at risk of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, frequently (20-50%) have symptoms of common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and stress. These symptoms are associated with suboptimal adherence to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective HIV prevention approach. In this project, the team seeks to address poor mental health and consequent impacts on PrEP adherence and among AGYW at risk of HIV by testing an evidence-based mental health intervention (the Youth Friendship Bench SA) adapted for PrEP delivery programs.


In-person vs. Virtual Delivery of a Group-based Prevention of Postpartum Depression 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: March 13, 2023
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , f
Location(s): Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, Colorado, United States

The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether an established preventive intervention (group interpersonal therapy) delivered virtually shows the same benefits for preventing postpartum depression as it does when delivered in person.


Women SHINE: Addressing Syndemics and HIV Among Women Through Tech-Based Peer Engagement 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: November 15, 2022
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , f
Location(s): The Regents of the Univ. of Calif., U.C. San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States

A two-arm RCT will be conducted to test the efficacy of Women SHINE, a web-based trauma-informed peer navigation-social support intervention (Figure 2). A total of 360 women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) with a history of adulthood interpersonal violence who have been prescribed ART but are non-adherent (\< 90% ART adherent in the last 4 weeks) will be enrolled in the study. WLHA will be randomized (1:1) into one of the following conditions: 1) Women SHINE intervention arm (n=180) or 2) Control arm (n=180). The Women SHINE intervention arm will receive a four-month intervention including peer navigator (PN) one-on-one sessions, phone/text-based check-ins, 7 psychoeducation weekly support group sessions (120 mins.) co-facilitated by a licensed therapist and PN, and access to a static website with resources for HIV care, interpersonal violence, trauma, mental health, and substance use. The control arm will receive one group session (60 mins.) on self-care and well-being and access to the aforementioned website with resources. Women will complete a video-based survey and mailed hair sample self-collection at baseline, 4-, 8-, and 12-months post-randomization, to evaluate improvements in ART adherence (Aim 1), emotion regulation, and PTSD symptoms (Aim 2). Investigators will examine the mediating effect of individual (retention in HIV care, coping self-efficacy, social support, ancillary support services use) and socio-structural (stigma, medical mistrust) mechanisms of change on the efficacy of Women SHINE (Aim 3).


A Dyadic Approach to Perinatal Depression in Primary Care: Maternal Infant and Dyadic Care 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: November 1, 2022
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , f
Location(s): Amritha Bhat, Seattle, Washington, United States

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a parenting intervention+usual care compared to usual care on postpartum depression and other mental health and parenting outcomes, as well as the feasibility and acceptability of the parenting intervention.


Clinic-based HIV Identification and Prevention Project Using Electronic Resources 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: October 3, 2022
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 15 Years to 65 Years, t
Location(s): Johns Hopkins Health System, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Hybrid Type II effectiveness-implementation trial to investigate whether electronic medical and sexual history data collection with HIV risk categorization/scoring will increase pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among cis-gender women attending routine well-woman gynecologic preventative visits.


Estrogen Variability and Irritability During the Menopause Transition 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: June 15, 2022
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 45 Years to 59 Years, t
Location(s): Carolina Crossing B, Suite 1, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Women in the menopause transition (perimenopause) experience substantial day-to-day variability in estradiol and have a 2-4-fold increase in major depression risk. About 40% of perimenopausal women are susceptible to the emergence of affective symptoms tied to changes in estradiol. Among the perimenopausal women with affective impairment, most report irritability, not "depression," is their primary source of impairment and distress. The purpose of this research is to determine the neurophysiologic basis of susceptibility to estradiol fluctuations and irritability symptoms in perimenopausal women.


Fear, Gastrointestinal Distress, and Interoception: Physiological and Psychological Mechanisms in Eating Disorders 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: April 22, 2022
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 40 Years, f
Location(s): Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, United States

The proposed study tests fear, gut peptide response, and perceptions of fullness as causes of gastrointestinal distress and eating disorder maintenance.


Examining the Effects of Estradiol on Neural and Molecular Response to Reward 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: April 20, 2022
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 45 Years to 55 Years, f
Location(s): University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

This proposal will examine the effects of estradiol administration on perimenopausal-onset (PO) anhedonia and psychosis symptoms as well as on brain function using simultaneous positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging (PET-MR).


Increasing HIV/STI Home Testing Via a Digital Intervention Among Black Women 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: February 2, 2022
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 15 Years to 59 Years, t
Location(s): Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Austin, Texas, United States; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, United States; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, United States; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, San Antonio, Texas, United States

The proposed intervention is a web-based intervention guided by theoretical components to increase HIV home testing among Black women at risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a HIV hotspot in the South. The intervention will promote using the home test, linkage to care, and linkage to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) evaluation. The intervention has the potential to be implemented on a large scale and tailored based on location and population to increase testing, treatment, and PrEP adoption.


Pharmacokinetic Properties of Antiretroviral and Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs During Pregnancy and Postpartum 

Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
Start Date: September 1, 2021
Eligibility: FEMALEs, Age N/A, f
Location(s): Hosp. Geral De Nova Igaucu Brazil NICHD CRS, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; IMPAACT/ Gamma Project/ UPR Pediatric HIV/AIDS Research CRS, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Kenya Medical Research Institute / Walter Reed Project Clinical Research Center, Kericho CRS, Kericho, Kenya; Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College (BJMC) CRS, Pune, Maharashtra, India; Hospital Federal dos Servidores do Estado NICHD CRS, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; SOM Federal University Minas Gerais Brazil NICHD CRS, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Univ. of Sao Paulo Brazil NICHD CRS (Site ID: 5074), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil; Gaborone CRS (Site ID: 12701), Gaborone, South-East District, Botswana; Molepolole CRS (Site ID: 12702), Molepolole, Kweneng District, Botswana; Baylor College of Medicine/ Texas Children's Hospital NICHD CRS (Site ID: 5128), Houston, Texas, United States; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital CRS, Memphis, Tennessee, United States; SUNY Stony Brook NICHD CRS, Stony Brook, New York, United States; Jacobi Med. Ctr. Bronx NICHD CRS, Bronx, New York, United States; Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center NICHD CRS, Bronx, New York, United States; Johns Hopkins Univ. Baltimore NICHD CRS, Baltimore, Maryland, United States; Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (LCH) CRS (Site ID: 4001), Chicago, Illinois, United States; Rush University Cook County Hospital Chicago NICHD CRS, Chicago, Illinois, United States; Emory University School of Medicine NICHD CRS, Atlanta, Georgia, United States; Pediatric Perinatal HIV NICHD CRS, Miami, Florida, United States; University of Florida Jacksonville NICHD CRS, Jacksonville, Florida, United States; Univ. of Colorado Denver NICHD CRS, Aurora, Colorado, United States; University of California, UC San Diego CRS- Mother-Child-Adolescent HIV Program, San Diego, California, United States; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA NICHD CRS, Los Angeles, California, United States; Usc La Nichd Crs, Los Angeles, California, United States; Baylor-Uganda CRS, Kampala, Uganda; Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital NICHD CRS (Site ID: 5116), Chiang Rai, Thailand; Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University NICHD CRS, Bangkok, Bangkoknoi, Thailand; Famcru Crs, Tygerberg Hills, South Africa; Sizwe CRS, Johannesburg, South Africa; Desmond Tutu TB Centre - Stellenbosch University (DTTC-SU) CRS, Cape Town, South Africa; Wits RHI Shandukani Research, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of antiretroviral (ARV) and anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs administered during pregnancy and postpartum.


A Wearable Morning Light Treatment for Postpartum Depression 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: June 23, 2021
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to , f
Location(s): University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

This study will test a consumer health light therapy device (Re-Timer) for women with postpartum depression to better understand how it affects mood and the body clock (also called the circadian clock).

Eligible participants will be enrolled and randomized after baseline assessments. In addition to using the Re-Timer light for 5 weeks participants will complete questionnaires at various timepoints, record sleep information, wear an actigraph watch, and provide saliva samples. Additionally, the sleep of the participants' infants will also be monitored using an ankle-worn device (actigraph) and sleep diary at certain time-points as this may influence the mother's mood/sleep, and in turn affect the results.

The hypotheses regarding the bright light versus the placebo dim light of the study are:

* morning bright light therapy will produce greater improvement from pre- to post-treatment on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression * morning bright light therapy will lengthen the Phase angle difference (PAD) and this will mediate change in depression symptoms. * morning bright light therapy will produce greater improvements on self-reported depression symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness, maternal-infant bonding, social functioning, and sleep-related impairment from pre- to post-treatment.


PrEParing Family Planning Clinics to Streamline Integration of HIV Prevention Services for Young Women in Kenya 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: March 1, 2021
Eligibility: FEMALEs, Age N/A, t
Location(s): Kenyatta National Hospital, Kisumu, Kenya

This a prospective, open-label implementation project to catalyze integration of HIV prevention and PrEP care services for adolescent girls and young women in family planning clinics in Kenya.


Improving Therapeutic Learning for PTSD 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: February 18, 2021
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 21 Years to 50 Years, t
Location(s): University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States

The proposed project seeks to demonstrate the engagement of post-exposure dopamine neurotransmission and downstream acute reorganization of dopaminergic resting-state neural networks as a means of increasing consolidation of extinction memories formed during analogue exposure therapy in adult women with PTSD. Participants will include 120 women aged 21-50 with a current diagnosis of PTSD related to physical or sexual assault, English speaking, and medically healthy. Participants will complete the stages of the study across 2-3 days, depending on participant need.


Self-Control in Bulimia Nervosa 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: September 18, 2020
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 35 Years, t
Location(s): Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States

This study examines the influence of acute fasting and eating on self-control in adult females with and without bulimia nervosa (BN). Specifically, the study team is investigating whether differences in behavior and brain activation in response to computer tasks after fasting and after eating a meal could help to explain the symptoms of bulimia nervosa. Data will be collected using questionnaires and a technology called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


Neuroendocrine Risk for PTSD in Women 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: November 11, 2019
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 35 Years, f
Location(s): Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

This study will test for effects of estradiol (E2) on PTSD symptoms and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) indicators of stress vulnerability, in naturally-cycling women who are not using hormonal birth control. Enrollment will be targeted to create three groups within two cohorts (early follicular phase and luteal phase):

1. PTSD: Women who meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for PTSD 2. Trauma-Exposed (TC): Women matched for age and trauma exposure severity but without PTSD 3. Healthy Control (HC): Women matched for age, but without trauma history or psychiatric disorder (self-reported)

Women will be recruited through Grady Trauma Project (GTP), a large longstanding study of civilian trauma and PTSD conducted at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.


Effectiveness of Empowerment Group Sessions for Treating Suicidal African American Women in Abusive Relationships 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: March 31, 2008
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 64 Years, f
Location(s): Grady Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of culturally competent psychoeducational empowerment sessions in treating suicidal African-American women who are in abusive relationships.


The Role of Hormones in Postpartum Mood Disorders 

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Start Date: April 26, 1996
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 50 Years, t
Location(s): National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Determine whether postpartum depression is triggered by the abrupt withdrawal of estrogen and progesterone.

The appearance of mood and behavioral symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period has been extensively reported. While there has been much speculation about possible biologically based etiologies for postpartum disorders (PPD), none has ever been confirmed. Preliminary results from two related studies (protocols 90-M-0088, 92-M-0174) provide evidence that women with menstrual cycle related mood disorder, but not controls, experience mood disturbances during exogenous replacement of physiologic levels of gonadal steroids. The present protocol is designed to create a "scaled-down" hormonal milieu of pregnancy and the puerperium in order to determine whether women who have had a previous episode of postpartum major effective episode will experience differential mood and behavioral effects compared with controls and to determine whether it is the abrupt withdrawal of gonadal steroids or the prolonged exposure to gonadal steroids that is associated with mood symptoms. Supraphysiologic plasma levels of gonadal steroids will be established, maintained, and then rapidly reduced, simulating the hormonal events that occur during pregnancy and parturition. This will be accomplished by administering estradiol and progesterone to women who are pretreated with a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist (Lupron). After eight weeks, administration of gonadal steroids will be stopped in one group of patients and controls, and a sudden decline in the plasma hormone levels will be precipitated. Another group will be maintained on supraphysiologic levels of estrogen and progesterone for an additional month. Outcome measures will include mood, behavioral and hormonal parameters (a separate protocol done in collaboration with NICHD).


Study of Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoria 

Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
Start Date: March 9, 1984
Eligibility: FEMALEs, 18 Years to 50 Years, t
Location(s): National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, United States

The purpose of this study is to identify and describe the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Women who experience PMS symptoms will complete clinical interviews, self-rating scales, and evaluations of mood and endocrine function. A subgroup of women with severe PMS (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder or PMDD) will be offered additional research studies that focus on: 1) identifying the endocrine changes that may be responsible for changes in mood and behavior during the premenstrual period, 2) evaluating treatments for PMS symptoms, and/or 3) identifying genetic factors in women with and without PMS. Women with recurrent brief depression will also be recruited to serve as a comparison group.