A major international study has found that remotely supervised, at-home brain stimulation therapy can help prevent relapse after depression treatment, addressing a long-standing gap in ongoing mental health care.

The PSYLECT study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, followed 71 patients who had recently completed treatment for major depressive disorder. Participants used home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) twice a week for six months, supported by online behavioural monitoring. Researchers found that 75% of participants maintained recovery without relapse, and only six experienced a return of depressive symptoms.

The study was led by the University of São Paulo Medical School, in collaboration with Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, the University of Ghent, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

As up to 85% of people with depression experience relapse, the findings suggest that accessible and scalable approaches could support long-term recovery without ongoing clinical visits.

“Home-based brain stimulation bridges a major treatment gap, helping patients sustain long-term recovery after antidepressants or psychotherapy,” said Erin Lee, CEO of Flow Neuroscience, whose tDCS device was used in the study. “Many people struggle to pay for visits or travel to the clinic, or are simply too busy to attend several sessions a week. This is when at-home therapy comes to the rescue.”

Lee added that home-based therapy may also benefit clinics by reducing waiting lists and freeing clinicians for more intensive cases.

Dr Kultar Singh Garcha, medical director at Flow Neuroscience, said: “Many people with a history of depression might find it easier to stick to home-based therapy, as it’s less effort compared to regular in-clinic visits. Even months into treatment, many patients still feel physically and emotionally exhausted, so lowering the effort can help them keep going.”

Researchers also found the treatment to be safe and well-tolerated. Only minor side effects such as scalp itching or mild headaches were reported, while 40% of participants experienced no adverse effects at all.

Flow Neuroscience’s CE-certified device is approved for depression treatment in the UK, EU, Australia, Switzerland and Hong Kong. The headset delivers mild electrical currents to the prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in mood regulation and stress response that is often underactive in depression.

“For decades, relapse has been one of the biggest challenges in depression treatment, but this is finally changing now,” Lee said. “We are certain that with home-based brain stimulation therapy, effective and non-drug relapse prevention will become a new mental health care standard.”