There is a high risk that the mental health field is foregoing the opportunity to use anti-inflammatory medications in depression. There is a lack of studies that target the right people by stratifying them based on inflammatory markers. This study, co-designed with people with lived experience (PWLE) of depression, will:
- Identify, in existing clinical trials of anti-inflammatories in major depressive disorder (MDD), a set of hypothesis-driven, inflammation-related, clinical, blood, and neuroimaging stratification markers that accurately predict depression response;
- Use machine learning to generate a decision tool that identifies depressed people who will respond to anti-inflammatories medications and thus could access these drugs as early intervention;
- Assess the feasibility and acceptability of the tool in a proof-of-concept, open-labelled, stratified prospective study, delivered in Europe, the USA and South Africa;
- Explore PWLE’s views regarding the role of inflammation in depression; and
- Produce scientific publications, conference presentations and public engagement outputs (blogs, podcasts, social media campaigns) describing the outcomes and impact of the study.
Our study will lead to innovative personalised treatments and early interventions for depression according to patients’ stratification markers. Bringing together n=10 existing trials led by PIs/collaborators (n>1200 people with depression) and n=250 newly recruited individuals.
