Strong Connections

Strong Connections-Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents; Behavioral: 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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 34
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Rochester, New York, United States, 14620
      • Pediatric Behavior Health and Wellness

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A); All adolescents who present at Child and Adolescent Outpatient Service (CAOS) for a diagnostic intake evaluation and who report any symptoms of depression.	Behavioral: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents; 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.
Active Comparator: Treatment as Usual; All adolescents who present at Child and Adolescent Outpatient Service (CAOS) for a diagnostic intake evaluation and who report any symptoms of depression.	Behavioral: Treatment 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Mean Beck Depression Inventory score	Adolescents' 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.	Baseline to 8 months
Change in Mean Beck Depression Inventory score	Adolescents' 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.	Baseline to 5 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in the mean score in suicide ideation.	The 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.	Baseline to 5 months
Change in the mean score in suicide ideation.	The 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.	Baseline to 8 months
Change in mean perceived stress	The 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.	Baseline to 5 months
Change in mean perceived stress	The 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.	Baseline to 8 months
Change in mean social adjustment	The 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.	Baseline to 5 months
Change in mean social adjustment	The 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.	Baseline to 8 months
Mean change in social support	The 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.	Baseline to 5 months
Mean change in social support	The 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.	Baseline to 8 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Rochester

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 22, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): August 22, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 9, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 9, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): October 13, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 15, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 12, 2018
• Last Verified: October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Depression
• Other Study ID Numbers: RSRB44140

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No