Mental health clinical trial recruitment

Recruit qualified participants for your mental health trial.

HopeStage combines trusted mental health communities, investigator-led content and targeted outreach to deliver a smaller number of better-matched, better-prepared participants.

Start with a small setup fee. Then pay for agreed results.

Discuss a recruitment pilot Explore HopeStage Research

Fewer random leads. Clear qualification criteria. Pricing linked to outcomes.

Quality before volume

You do not need more traffic. You need the right participants.

Broad campaigns can generate large numbers of low-intent leads who do not understand the study, do not meet the main criteria or never respond to the site.

HopeStage prioritises a smaller, focused flow of people who understand the study, meet approved early-fit criteria and are prepared for the next conversation with the clinical team.

Typical focus

Traditional lead generation

Optimised for clicks and form submissions
High volume
Limited participant preparation
Qualification often happens late
Site coordinators spend time chasing unsuitable or unresponsive leads

HopeStage focus

HopeStage recruitment

Optimised for relevant participant progress
Smaller, more focused lead flow
Study-specific education and preparation
Approved early-fit questions
Clear and tracked handoff to the clinical site

Clear responsibility

A four-stage path from outreach to enrolment.

HopeStage attracts, informs and prepares. The clinical site screens, consents and enrols.

01HopeStage-ledStudy content and trusted outreach
02HopeStage-ledEarly-fit support and participant preparation
03Clinical site-ledClinical screening
04Clinical site-ledConsent and enrolment

HopeStage-ledClinical site-led

HopeStage does not replace the investigator or clinical site. We help the right people reach the clinical conversation better informed and better prepared.

How recruitment starts

From study briefing to qualified participant flow.

Step 01
Define the study and success milestone
HopeStage works with the principal investigator, psychiatrist, doctor or study lead to define the study, participant profile, operating constraints and payment trigger.
- Condition and study objective
- Site locations and geographic limits
- Main inclusion and exclusion criteria
- Visit schedule, burden, compensation and travel support
- Approved early-fit questions
- Site screening process
- Target profile and recruitment volume
- Milestone, tracking and attribution rules
OutputAgreed criteria, milestone and tracking plan
Step 02
Create study-specific content
Record a conversation, interview or podcast with the principal investigator or study lead, then translate approved information into participant-facing content.
- Clear study page and participant-friendly explanations
- Frequently asked questions
- Long-form video or podcast content
- Short-form videos, clips and social posts
- Advertising creative where required
- Screening and preparation content
- Ethics, IRB and advertising approval before publication
OutputApproved participant-facing content system
Step 03
Activate trusted recruitment channels
Distribute approved content through the most relevant mix of opt-in research audiences, mental health community reach and study discovery infrastructure.
- HopeStage communities
- HopeStage Research
- Podcasts and content channels
- Condition-specific content
- Social media
- Partner networks where appropriate
- Targeted advertising when needed
OutputApproved channel plan and activation
Step 04
Provide early-fit support
Help interested people understand the opportunity and prepare for contact with the clinical site without making clinical decisions.
- Understand the study
- Review practical requirements
- Consider travel, time and visit burden
- Answer approved early-fit questions
- Prepare for site contact
- Understand that final eligibility belongs to the study team
OutputBetter-informed early-fit conversations
Step 05
Handoff, track and improve
Send relevant participants through a clear referral pathway and create a feedback loop with the site using consent, privacy safeguards and approved tracking.
- Interest received and contactable
- Early-fit criteria met
- Referred to site
- Clinical screening and eligibility
- Consented, enrolled or randomised where applicable
- Study completion when included
- Screening feedback for content and targeting improvement
OutputTrackable participant flow and optimisation loop

Results-based pricing

Choose the result you want to pay for.

A small fixed setup fee covers study onboarding, recruitment strategy, content preparation, tracking and launch. The remaining fees are linked to the result agreed with the study team.

01Small fixed setup fee02Chosen result milestone

Early-fit qualified referral

A participant meets the agreed preliminary criteria and is ready for site follow-up.

Clinical screening milestone

The participant progresses through a site-managed clinical screening milestone defined in the agreement.

Consent or enrolment

The clinical site confirms that the participant has consented, enrolled or randomised, depending on the study.

Study completion

A fee may be linked to completion when HopeStage also provides participant-experience and retention support.

A project may use one milestone or several progressive milestones. Pricing increases as the milestone moves further into the clinical pathway because HopeStage assumes more delivery risk.

Start small

Test the channel with one focused recruitment pilot.

Begin with one study, one market and one clearly defined success milestone. Set a participant cap, measure progression through the funnel and expand only when the channel is working.

One study or site
One primary condition
Agreed geographic area
Defined early-fit criteria
Agreed referral or enrolment cap
Small setup fee
Results-based milestone
Weekly feedback and optimisation

Mental health only

Mental health recruitment is not general recruitment.

Stigma, symptoms, uncertainty, trust and the practical burden of participation can make mental health trials especially difficult to recruit for.

HopeStage works specifically in mental health. Our communities, content, study platform and lived-experience approach help us communicate complex studies with clarity and respect. Capability varies by condition, location, protocol and site requirements.

Bipolarity
Depression
Anxiety conditions
Schizophrenia and psychosis
ADHD
PTSD

Current recruitment reach

Strongest community reach in five markets.

Recruitment capability varies by condition, location, protocol and site requirements. HopeStage reviews feasibility before confirming a campaign.

France
Switzerland
United States
Australia
Belgium

Recruitment infrastructure

Powered by HopeStage Research.

HopeStage Research helps people discover and understand mental health studies through clearer, participant-facing information.

For recruitment projects, it provides a dedicated place to explain the study, capture interest and connect eligible prospects with the appropriate next step.

Clearer study information
Consent-aware interest capture
A trackable next step

Explore HopeStage Research

Already generating leads?

Fix the leaks before buying more traffic.

HopeStage can also review and improve an existing recruitment funnel when a study already has advertising, referrals or participant enquiries.

Landing-page clarity
Ad and content review
Inclusion and exclusion communication
Form length and friction
Response time
Early-fit questions
Participant preparation
Site handoff
Coordinator follow-up
No-show points
Screen-failure reasons
Source attribution and tracking

Outcome: Recruitment Barrier Map and prioritised optimisation plan. Where possible, HopeStage and the site create a feedback loop so content and targeting improve based on actual screening outcomes.

Transparent performance

See where participants progress or drop out.

Reporting focuses on metrics the project can lawfully and practically track, without promising specific conversion rates.

01
Source and campaign
02
Cost per inquiry
03
Early-fit rate
04
Contact rate
05
Referral-to-screening rate
06
Screening-to-enrolment rate
07
Time between referral and site contact
08
Main screen-failure reasons
09
Participant drop-off points
10
Performance by content or channel

Responsible recruitment

Clear guardrails at every stage.

All content must receive required study and ethics approval
Participation must always be voluntary
No private community data is used without consent
No public identification or inference of mental health status
HopeStage does not make clinical eligibility decisions
The investigator or site manages clinical screening and consent
No guarantee of enrolment, randomisation or completion
No use of the community as a passive marketing list
Appropriate privacy, data protection and referral tracking
Clear separation between participant education and medical advice

Recruitment pilot

Bring a smaller number of better-prepared participants to your site.

Define the study, qualification criteria and result that matters. HopeStage will build the content, activate the right channels and create a trackable participant pathway.