None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Depressive disorders are highly prevalent among adolescents, are often highly comorbid with problematic sleep. In fact, problematic sleep is one of nine possible criterions of a major depressive disorder diagnosis. These issues are often chronic if left untreated, and lead to numerous problematic consequences. Digital mental health programs increase access to evidence-based interventions and have been shown to be highly effective for numerous mental health problems in youth. However, the online programs developed for child and adolescent mental health issues to date do not account for comorbidity, and instead focus on only one disorder (e.g., depression OR sleep). Youth are therefore routinely provided with a digital mental health program targeting their primary presenting problem only (i.e., the problem that is causing them the most distress or is most interfering with their functioning). Typically, this means depression is routinely treated, but sleep is not. This RCT will target adolescents with primary depression, who also suffer with a comorbid sleep issue, by comparing an online program targeting BOTH depression and sleep, with one that will target only the primary presenting problem of depression. We expect that compared to the program targeting ONLY depression, the program directly targeting BOTH depression and sleep will lead to better and longer-lasting mental health outcomes not only for the depression, but also for the comorbid sleep problem.
Interventions
The design involves a two-arm parallel-group RCT where adolescents aged 13-17 years with comorbid depression and sleep problems will be randomly assigned to either the online comorbid (COM) program condition targeting comorbid depression and sleep problems, or the online primary diagnosis (PRI) program condition targeting the primary presenting problem of depression. Both arms (i.e., Intervention Arm 1 and Intervention Arm 2) will receive an online intervention program.
The online programs will
The design involves a two-arm parallel-group RCT where adolescents aged 13-17 years with comorbid depression and sleep problems will be randomly assigned to either the online comorbid (COM) program condition targeting comorbid depression and sleep problems, or the online primary diagnosis (PRI) program condition targeting the primary presenting problem of depression. Both arms (i.e., Intervention Arm 1 and Intervention Arm 2) will receive an online intervention program. The online programs will be accessed via the Momentum platform (https://momentumhub.org.au). The online interventions on the Momentum platform are self-directed and there is no contact with a therapist or a psychologist. The intervention program will be either 7 (PRI program) or 10 (COM program) sessions. The sessions will become available weekly. Each session does not have to be completed in one go, but each session will need to be completed before the participants move on to the next one. The users will receive automated reminders related to session availability. On the home page, the users will be able to monitor how far they are in their assigned program. The Momentum program sessions have been co-designed with young people to ensure they are engaging and interactive. Sessions include the use of images, interactive elements, pop-up messages, and quizzes that provide immediate feedback. Each session comprises approximately 30 slides and takes an estimated 45 minutes to complete. The number of sessions will change depending on the intervention arm. Homework assignments can be completed online or can be printed out. Each session follows a similar format: (1) Feelings check-in (where the young person completes brief depression and sleep questionnaires); (2) A review of homework from the previous session; (3) A summary quiz of the previous session; (4) Presentation of the main content of the session (e.g., cognitive restructuring); (5) A quiz to see what they have learned from the session; and (6) Homework activities to be completed over the following week. Intervention Arm 1 - Program targeting comorbid depression and sleep (COM): This program will be provided to those participants with primary depression and secondary sleep problems, who have been allocated to the COM arm of the RCT. The COM program involves 10 sessions. The depression content of the PRI and COM programs is identical, with the only difference being that the COM program has an additional 3 sessions targeting sleep. These three sleep sessions are: 1) psychoeducation and sleep hygiene, 2) routine building and understanding the factors underpinning sleep problems, and 3) relapse prevention specific to depression and sleep.
Sponsors
Griffith University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
13 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Following registration and the initial assessment process that is part of the open access Momentum Platform, adolescents aged 13-17 years who are found to demonstrate comorbid depression and sleep problems will be invited to participate in the RCT. Participants must be willing to participate in either of the two conditions (COM or PRI).
Exclusion criteria
Potential participants will be excluded if the adolescent (i) has an intellectual or a developmental disorder (autism, developmental delay); (ii) is receiving other psychological/psychiatric treatment for their identified problem (depression or sleep); (iii) is not stabilised on a medication prior to enrolment into this study or alters their medication dosage during the trial (if the participant is using medication for depression or sleep problems); (iv) displays a high suicidal risk (i.e., a score >21 on the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale by Van Spijker et al. (2014)).
Outcome results
None listed