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Strong Connections

Strong Connections-Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03308864
Enrollment
34
Registered
2017-10-13
Start date
2012-11-01
Completion date
2018-08-22
Last updated
2018-10-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Depression

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to compare two talking forms of therapy designed to help reduce depressive symptoms in teenagers: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents and Treatment as Usual.

Detailed description

Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) is a manualized short-term therapeutic intervention that has been shown to be efficacious in a number of randomized control trials for adolescent depression. The primary aim of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) into routine psychotherapeutic treatment at Strong Behavioral Health: Child and Adolescent Outpatient. The second aim of the present investigation is to examine changes in adolescent symptomatology, interpersonal functioning, perceived stress, and social support throughout the course of treatment. The third aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of IPT-A versus treatment as usual (TAU) at reducing depressive symptoms among adolescents.

Interventions

Experimental: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) IPT-A is a manualized intervention for depression that targets adolescents' interpersonal context and social supports as mechanisms of change. It will be provided in accordance with the treatment manual by Child and Adolescent Outpatient Service clinicians over the course of 12-16 50-minute sessions.

BEHAVIORALTreatment as usual

Treatment as usual will consist of the standard care for adolescent depressive symptoms at CAOS. TAU is not manualized; it is consistent with care typically provided in community settings. Therapists establish a working alliance, are empathetic, reflect expressed affect, and discuss options for coping with concerns as initiated by the adolescent.

Sponsors

University of Rochester
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
12 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* age 12-18 * scoring in the clinically elevated range for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth

Exclusion criteria

* currently psychotic * do not speak English * currently participating in another form of mental health treatment * considered to need inpatient hospitalization * IQ less than 70

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Mean Beck Depression Inventory scoreBaseline to 8 monthsAdolescents' depressive symptomatology will be measured using adolescent-report of the Beck Depression Inventory-Youth. It is a 20-item scale ranging from 0 to 100 with higher scores indicating worse health outcomes.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in the mean score in suicide ideation.Baseline to 5 monthsThe Beck Suicide Scale will be used to measure suicide ideation. It is a 21-item scale ranging from 0-2 with higher scores higher levels of suicide ideation.
Change in mean perceived stressBaseline to 5 monthsThe Perceived Stress Scale will be used to measure perceived stress. It is a 14-item scale ranging from 0-4 with higher scores higher levels of stress.
Change in mean social adjustmentBaseline to 5 monthsThe Social Adjustment Scale-SR will be used to measure social adjustment. It is a 23-item scale ranging from 0-5 with higher scores higher levels of social adjustment.
Mean change in social supportBaseline to 5 monthsThe Social Support Behaviors Scale will be used to measure social support. There are two domains, one for family and one for friends. It is a 45-item scale ranging from 0-5 with higher scores indicating higher levels of social support.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026