Depression
Conditions
Brief summary
Youth with depressive symptoms are at risk for a range of problems later in life. This includes problematic interpersonal relationships, occupational stress, and the occurrence of adult mental disorders. The main purpose of this study is to test how effective two types of group therapy are at reducing depressive symptoms in youth. A focus on group therapy is important because group therapy allows for many youth to be treated in a short amount of time. Group therapy is also helpful because youth can get social support and feel less alone in their symptoms when they participate in group. This study compares two groups, one that targets skills for managing difficult emotional experiences (dialectical behavior therapy skills group) and another group focuses on psychoeducation and is based on a publicly available treatment manual from the Services for Teens At Risk (STAR) Center at the University of Pittsburgh. The results of this study will provide insights regarding the comparative efficacy of these two treatments, and regarding predictors of treatment response.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPsychoeducation group treatment
Sponsors
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
14 Years to 19 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* English speaking * male or female, ages 14 to 19, all races and ethnicities * Current depression as assessed by an ALIFE - PSR score equal to or greater than 4 * Has a treating psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Exclusion criteria
* Current manic episode * current psychosis
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Children's Depression Rating Scale - Revise (CDRS-R) | Change from baseline to endpoint (assessed at weeks 0, 12, 24) | Measure mood symptom severity. Response is defined as greater than or equal to 50% reduction in CDRS-R score |
| The Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation for adolescents (A-LIFE) | Change from baseline to endpoint (assessed at weeks 0, 12 and 24) | Used to track symptom severity, treatment (both psychosocial and psychotropic), self-injurious/suicidal behavior and psychosocial functioning over time. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Children's Affective Lability Scale | Change from baseline to endpoint (assessed at weeks 0, 4, 12 and 24) | Used to ascertain adolescent and parent reported affect regulation, during the preceding year or time since last assessment |
| The Adverse Childhood Experiences | Assessed at baseline | Used to measure adverse events that have happened up until the 18th year of life |
| The Stressful Life Events Schedule | Change from baseline to endpoint (assessed at weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24) | Used to ascertain 80 adolescent and parent reported negative life events, during the preceding year or time since last assessment |
| The DBT Ways of Coping Checklist | Change from baseline to endpoint (assessed at weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24) | This is a self-reported questionnaire used to assess adaptive and maladaptive ways to cope with negative emotions or problematic situations |
| The Life Problems Inventory | Change from baseline to endpoint (assessed at weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24) | This is a self-reported questionnaire (adolescent-reported) used to assess emotion dysregulation in the adolescent. |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed