A Novel Blood Test as a Biomarker in Mental Health

This longitudinal, observational study aims to assess whether the characteristics of a novel blood peripheral biomarker can serve as indicators for depression and schizophrenia in patients at the Royal Columbian Hospital Psychiatric Clinics. The study will evaluate whether changes in these biomarker characteristics can help distinguish between depressed patients who do or do not respond to treatment and between individuals experiencing a single psychotic episode and those at risk of progressing to schizophrenia. To achieve this, blood samples and standardized mental health assessments will be collected across three study visits from up to 500 participants, grouped into two study arms based on their diagnosis: Depression (DEP) or Psychosis/Schizophrenia (PSY).

NCT Number	NCT06856161
Lead Sponsor	Fraser Health Collaborators: Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
Conditions	Depression - Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophenia Disorder, Psychosis, Mania (Neurotic), Alcohol Consumption, Anxiety Disorder (Panic Disorder or GAD), Substance Use Disorders, Alcohol Use Disorder
Enrollment	500 participants
Start Date	2025-03-25
Primary Completion	2027-03-15 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-08-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-03-05