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Nutritional Intervention for College Students With Depression
NCT07490782 · University of California, San Diego
In plain English
Click the button to translate this study into plain language — what it is, who qualifies, and what participation looks like.
About this study
The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the feasibility of nutritional interventions in college students with depression. The main outcomes it aims to measure are:
* Nutritional content, meal timing, and sleep patterns in college students with depression
* Feasibility of nutritional interventions (Mediterranean Diet and Time-Restricted Eating + Mediterranean Diet) in college students with depression
Researchers will compare two groups - Mediterranean Diet (Med-Diet) and Time-Restricted Eating + Mediterranean Diet (TRE + Med-Diet) - to assess adherence to the dietary interventions and overall feasibility of the study procedures.
Participants will:
* Complete a 2-week baseline logging diet, sleep, activity, and mood
* Be randomized to Mediterranean Diet (Med-Diet) or Time-Restricted Eating + Med-Diet (TRE + Med-Diet)
* Participate in dietary counseling with a registered dietitian during the 8-week intervention
* Continue to log diet, wear an actigraphy device, and complete mood, sleep, and diet assessments throughout the intervention
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
* Age ≥ 18 years and enrolled as a college student
* Symptoms of mild to moderate depression
* Receiving treatment for depression or willing to receive treatment during study participation
* Generally in good physical health
* On a stable dose of any medication affecting weight, metabolism, or mental health
Exclusion Criteria:
* Elevated risk for suicide
* Inability to participate safely, as determined by the study physician
* Lifetime diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder
* Current eating disorder (e.g., bulimia, anorexia nervosa, binge eating)
* Current alcohol or substance use disorder
* Shift work outside of class schedule in the past 30 days
* Pregnancy or lactation
* Treatment with an investigational drug for depression or participation in another study requiring modification of diet
Study design
Enrollment target: 30 participants
Allocation: randomized
Masking: none
Age groups: adult, older_adult
Timeline
Starts: 2026-03
Estimated completion: 2028-02
Last updated: 2026-03-24
Interventions
Behavioral: Mediterranean DietBehavioral: Time-Restricted Eating
Primary outcomes
- • Sleep onset (From enrollment to the end of baseline (2 weeks))
- • Sleep offset (From enrollment to the end of baseline (2 weeks))
- • Sleep Duration (From enrollment to the end of baseline (2 weeks))
Sponsor
University of California, San Diego · other
Contacts & investigators
ContactMichael J McCarthy · contact · mmccarthy@health.ucsd.edu · 858-534-8070
All locations (1)
University of California San DiegoRecruiting
La Jolla, California, United States