Understanding how depression changes from day to day
About the Study
Researchers at Deakin University are inviting adults across Australia who are experiencing symptoms of depression to take part in Moods in Motion, a 10-week smartphone-based research study.
Moods in Motion is looking at how symptoms of depression change over time, and how these changes can be measured more accurately in future research.
All study appointments and surveys are completed online, so you can take part from anywhere in Australia.
Why is this study important?
Depression is often measured using surveys that ask people how they are feeling that day, week, or month. These surveys provide important information, but they may not show how symptoms change within that time.
Symptoms of depression can vary from one day to the next, and even at different times within the same day.
Moods in Motion takes a closer look by asking people a small number of questions at different times throughout the day. Following these changes over 10 weeks will give us a much more detailed picture of how symptoms of depression are experienced over time.
What we learn may help researchers improve how changes in depression are measured in future mental health studies.
What does the study involve?
If you take part, you will be involved in the study for about 10 weeks.
Before you start, you will:
- complete a short online survey to see whether the study is suitable for you (about 5 mins)
- have a video call with a member of the study team (about 45 mins)
- complete surveys about your health, mood, lifestyle, and background (about 10 mins)
During the 10-week study, you will:
- answer six quick questions three times each day using a smartphone app (about 1 minute)
- complete one longer survey each week (about 10 minutes)
At the end, you will:
- complete a short survey about your experience taking part (about 5 minutes)
- receive a personalised visual summary of the information you recorded during the study
Moods in Motion is an observational study. This means that there is no study treatment, and you will not be asked to change your usual healthcare, medications, or lifestyle.
Could I take part?
You may be able to take part if you:
- are 18-45 years old
- live in Australia
- are experiencing symptoms of depression
- have access to a smartphone and reliable internet
- are willing to complete brief surveys regularly for 10 weeks
There are some other eligibility requirements. A short online survey will help us determine whether the study may be suitable for you.
Why take part?
Taking part gives you the opportunity to contribute to research aimed at understanding depression in more detail.
Rather than providing only one or two measurements, each participant will contribute brief snapshots of how they are feeling across 10 weeks. When this information is brought together, researchers can examine patterns and changes that may be difficult to see using single surveys alone.
Your contribution may help shape how future mental health studies measure and understand changes in symptoms of depression.
There are no expected direct health benefits from taking part.
A thank you for your time
We recognise that taking part in research takes time and commitment.
To acknowledge your time and contribution, participants who enrol will receive:
- a $20 e-gift card after the first 5 weeks of participation;
- entry into an end-of-study prize draw to win one of seven $75 e-gift cards or one of three Garmin watches.
Full details will be provided before you decide whether to enrol.
Interested in taking part?
The first step is a short online survey to see whether Moods in Motion may be suitable for you.
Completing the survey does not commit you to taking part in the study.
Have a question before you decide?
Contact the Moods in Motion research team at: moodsinmotion@deakin.edu.au
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have been diagnosed with depression?
No. You do not need to have a formal diagnosis of depression.
The eligibility survey will ask about how you have been feeling recently, along with some other questions, to help the research team determine whether the study may be suitable for you.
What will the daily questions ask me about?
The daily questions ask about how you are feeling at that moment, including symptoms related to depression and anxiety.
There are six questions each time, and they take approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute to complete.
Why do you ask the questions three times a day?
Symptoms can change during the course of a day.
Asking the same brief questions at different times allows researchers to measure these changes as they happen, rather than relying only on how someone remembers feeling over the previous week or two.
This repeated, real-time approach is known as ecological momentary assessment, or EMA.
Why does the study last 10 weeks?
Following people over several weeks gives researchers enough information to look at patterns and changes over time.
A single survey tells us how someone is feeling at one point in time. Repeated measurements over 10 weeks allow us to see much more of what happens between those individual assessments.
What will my participation contribute to the research?
Each participant contributes repeated information about how they are feeling across the 10-week study.
When we bring this information together across participants, we can investigate how symptoms of depression change within days and across longer periods of time, and whether more frequent measurement provides useful information that occasional surveys may miss.
This may help inform how future mental health studies are designed and how changes in depression are measured.
What happens if I miss a daily survey?
We understand that you may not be able to complete every survey.
If you miss one, you can simply continue with the next survey as usual. We ask that you complete as many as you reasonably can throughout the 10-week study.
Is Moods in Motion a treatment study or clinical trial?
No. Moods in Motion is an observational study. This means the study is measuring experiences over time rather than testing a treatment.
You will not receive a study treatment, and the research team will not ask you to change your usual healthcare, medications, or lifestyle.
What is the personalised study report?
At the end of the study, you will receive a personalised visual summary showing patterns in the information you recorded during the 10 weeks.
The report is provided for your information only. It will not provide a diagnosis, clinical interpretation, or treatment advice.
Will I find out what the study discovers?
You will be able to choose whether you would like to receive a plain-language summary of the overall study findings once the research has been completed.
Can I stop taking part if I change my mind?
Yes. Taking part is voluntary, and you can stop at any time without giving a reason.
Deciding to stop will not affect your relationship with Deakin University or any other organisation involved in the study.
Will someone be monitoring how I am feeling?
Some study responses relating to wellbeing and safety will be reviewed by the research team. However, the study surveys are not monitored continuously or in real time.
Moods in Motion is not a treatment or crisis service. Before you enrol, you will receive more information about how the research team responds if a survey response raises a concern about your wellbeing or safety.
How will my information be kept private?
Your study information will be stored securely and handled in accordance with Deakin University requirements.
Information used for research will be coded so that your name and contact details are kept separately from your study responses.
Before you enrol, you will receive detailed information about what information will be collected, where it will be stored, who can access it, and how it may be used or shared.
This project has received ethical approval from Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee 2026/HE000501
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