A Promising New Mechanism in Depression Therapy—But Experts Remain Skeptical 

Written by Victoria Hwang, Behavioral Neuroscience Major (Computer Science Minor), Class of 2028

March 17, 2025

A Promising New Mechanism in Depression Therapy—But Experts Remain Skeptical 

Non-pharmacological therapy methods have become a recent trend in psychological and neurological disorder treatments. This trend began with the startup of online mental health consultation resources and extended to in-person exercise therapy sessions–both aiming to promote and utilize forms of therapy and recovery that do not rely on medication. This shift towards non-medication-based methods is driven by having fewer complications, such as addiction and health-related illnesses, compared to pharmacological treatments. The digital health world has also caught onto this trend with Rejoyn, the first FDA-approved prescription digital therapeutic app for the treatment of major depressive disorder. 

Rejoyn was developed in collaboration with Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc. and Click Therapeutics, with the goal of taking on a non-pharmacological approach to depression therapy. The app aims to utilize the brain’s natural abilities of recovery and circuitry through neural plasticity. In contrast to archetypal wellness apps, Rejoyn is meant to function as a medical device prescribed by a healthcare professional. 

However, despite the digital therapy app being FDA-approved and tested for efficacy, many experts are skeptical of its success rate and accuracy in treatment. A specific question that scientists are raising is: Is it the app itself that is actually contributing to lessening depression, or is it simply the reliance and belief in the app that is causing a placebo effect, which leads to decreased levels of depression? 

In truth, according to Julia Tartaglia, M.D., a PGY-4 resident at the Department of Psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital/Northwell Health, there are influences such as a ‘placebo effect’ that may have complicated the results and reliability of the app’s experimental testing. The app was tested through a double-blind, randomized experiment. All of the participants initially scored an average score of 28 on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). They were split into two groups and given either the Rejoyn app or the control app. By the sixth week, scientists observed the MADRS scores of Rejoyn users had significantly dropped to 19; however, it was also noted that both groups displayed improvement in their scores.

Experts find it hard to say if the app truly aided in lowering depression or if it was merely the trust, belief, and expectation that humans have in smartphones. The improvement in MADRS scores from both experimental groups has left many in the scientific community questioning the app’s efficiency. As of 2024, the app has been launched and is currently in the early stages of establishing a user community. With time and user feedback, experts may be able to uncover the truth of Rejoyn.

References:

1. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., & Click Therapeutics, Inc. (2024, April 1). Otsuka and Click Therapeutics announce the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of Rejoyn™, the first prescription digital therapeutic authorized for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms. Otsuka US.  https://otsuka-us.com/news/rejoyn-fda-authorized 

2. Richmond, L. M. (2024). Rejoyn: First App Cleared by FDA for Depression; Cost, Efficacy Unclear. Psychiatric News, 59(06). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2024.06.6.15