Identification of Biomarkers for Stress Vulnerability and Resilience

June 18, 2026 updated by: Huda Akil, University of Michigan
The purpose of this research study is to understand the biological mechanisms of stress vulnerability (being susceptible to stress) and stress resilience (being able to recover readily from stress), obtain biomarkers (a biological indicator) for stress resilience and to devise strategies for prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study will be using the Maya application (app) for the intervention arm, a mobile cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) program for adolescents and young adults experiencing anxiety symptoms. The Maya app, developed at Weill Cornell, teaches cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques including emotion monitoring, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, and exposure to help individuals with anxiety.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
500

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Michigan
      • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
        • Recruiting
        • University of Michigan
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Huda Akil, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Juan Lopez, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Cortney Turner, PhD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Stanley Watson, MD, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 22 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Incoming Freshmen Students at the University of Michigan

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Suicidal Ideation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: No Intervention
Participants will complete assessments at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months. (this includes specimen collections, interviews, and surveys). Participants will also be asked to wear a Fitbit for 12 months.
Experimental: Maya mobile app
Maya mobile app- CBT based self-help app
Behavioral: Maya App
Participants will utilize the Maya App for at least 20 minutes per day, 2 days per week, for 6 weeks. Additionally, participants will complete assessments at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months (this includes specimen collections, interviews, and surveys). Participants will also be asked to wear a Fitbit for 12 months.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in anxiety symptoms based on the General Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7) between the intervention arm and the no intervention arm
Time Frame: Baseline, up to 12 months
The GAD-7 is a 7 item questionnaire to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms (scores between 0-21). The items measure both psychic anxiety and somatic anxiety, where higher scores, defined by a score range of greater than or equal to 10, indicate a greater presence of symptoms and lower scores, defined by a score range of 0-9, indicate mild to no anxiety symptoms. Change in anxiety ratings between the intervention arm and the no intervention arm.
Baseline, up to 12 months
Change in depressive symptoms based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) between the intervention arm and the no intervention arm
Time Frame: Baseline, up to 12 months
The PHQ-9 is a 9-item scale containing three subscales measuring physical, cognitive, and social concerns regarding depression. Higher scores, defined by a score range of greater than or equal to 10, reflect greater presence of symptoms and lower scores, defined by a score range of 0-9, indicate mild to no depression symptoms. Change in depression ratings between the intervention arm and the no intervention arm.
Baseline, up to 12 months
Change in anxiety symptoms based on the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) between the intervention arm and the no intervention arm
Time Frame: Baseline, up to 12 months
The Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory is a validated self-reporting instrument used to assess anxiety. The inventory consists of state anxiety, which evaluates how the subject feels currently (transient anxiety) and trait anxiety (anxiety related to personality). The scale consists of 20 questions to determine state and 20 questions for trait anxiety with a 4-point Likert scale, a higher score indicates greater anxiety. Total score for state and trait measures ranges from 20 (no anxiety) to 80 (maximum anxiety). Change in anxiety ratings between the intervention arm and the no intervention arm.
Baseline, up to 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Michigan

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Hope for Depression Research Foundation
Pritzker Consortium

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Huda Akil, PhD, University of Michigan

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 23, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 9, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 9, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 11, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 18, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HUM00211856

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data that underlie the results of the proposed study will be shared with the scientific community after deidentification. The analytic code the team used will also be shared. Sharing will require a proposal from scientists who specify the questions to be asked and describe methodologically sound approaches to address their aims. Proposals should be directed to akil@umich.edu. To get access to the data, requestors will need to sign a data transfer and use agreement.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data will be made available upon full publication of the results and will end 36 months following article publication.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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