Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Early-Onset Depression

August 4, 2011 updated by: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Comprehensive Treatment for Depressed Youth: An Outcome Evaluation Study

Depression is a debilitating illness affecting large numbers of young people. In this study, children and adolescents ages 10 to 17 meeting criteria for clinical depression will participate in a 15-session group therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT) that teaches strategies for overcoming depressed mood. For half the participants, their parents will also participate in a parent group. By studying the role of parental involvement, we hope to develop more effective treatments for depressed children and teens in the future.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Detailed Description

Depression is a debilitating illness affecting large numbers of young people. Psychotherapy approaches have shown some promise in teens, but few studies have examined these interventions when offered in a group format. The role of parents in treatment outcome has also received little attention.

In this study, children and adolescents ages 10 to 17 meeting criteria for clinical depression will participate in a 15-session group therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT) that teaches strategies for overcoming depressed mood. For half the participants, their parents will also participate in a parent group to help them better manage their depressed children and teens. We will randomly assign children to CBT with or without parental involvement. We hope to show that involving parents results in additional improvements in the children. We will also study factors that predict which children do best in treatment, and maintenance of gains at 6 month and 1 year follow-up. These findings will allow us to provide more effective treatments to depressed children and teens in the future.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Phase

Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Canada
- Ontario
  - Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 1R8
    - Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

10 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Children and adolescents meeting DSM-IV criteria for either Major Depression or Dysthymic Disorder.

Exclusion Criteria:

Psychotic,
Actively suicidal,
IQ less than 80,
Unable to speak English

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Diagnosis on structured interview Time Frame: pre and post-intervention	pre and post-intervention
Children's Depression Inventory score Time Frame: pre- and post-intervention	pre- and post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children Time Frame: pre- and post-intervention	pre- and post-intervention
Children's Global Assessment Scale Time Frame: pre- and post-intervention	pre- and post-intervention
Brief Family Assessment Measure Time Frame: pre- and post-intervention	pre- and post-intervention
Perceived Competence Scale for Children Time Frame: pre- and post-intervention	pre- and post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Investigators

Principal Investigator: Katharina Manassis, MD, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Website of American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

June 1, 2002

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2006

Study Completion (Actual)