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.
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
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
30
Cognitive behaviour versus standard care
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Diagnosis on structured interview
Time frame: pre and post-intervention
Children's Depression Inventory score
Time frame: pre- and post-intervention
Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children
Time frame: pre- and post-intervention
Children's Global Assessment Scale
Time frame: pre- and post-intervention
Brief Family Assessment Measure
Time frame: pre- and post-intervention
Perceived Competence Scale for Children
Time frame: pre- and post-intervention
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.