Emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression are highly prevalent during adolescence and associated with functional impairment that commonly extends into adulthood. In the primary care (PC) setting, these disorders are frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated. Objective: To carry out a prospective, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of a new transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural group therapy (TD-CBT) protocol for adolescents (age 12 to 18 years) compared to group relaxation therapy (RT). Methods: Two-arm, single-blind, RCT (expected N=160) to compare group TD-CBT for emotional disorders to group RT. The group TD-CBT will be administered in seven sessions (90 min/session) over 12 weeks. Psychological assessments will be carried out at baseline, post-treatment, and at months 3, 6, and 12 after treatment. The assessments will include measures of depression, anxiety, somatization, quality of life, disability, and cognitive-emotional factors. The study will be conducted in two PC centres located in Cantabria, Spain. Discussion: This is the first RCT to evaluate the efficacy of group TD-CBT for emotional disorders in adolescents in the PC setting in Spain. If, as expected, the results confirm the superiority of TD-CBT to conventional RT, the widespread implementation of this new approach-based on scientific evidence obtained in a real-world, primary care setting-could improve treatment outcomes and quality of life in adolescents suffering from anxiety or depression.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
160
Patients assigned to the experimental group will receive 7 sessions (1.5 hr/session) in groups of approximately 8-10 individuals over a 12 week period
The control group will receive a progressive muscle relaxation group intervention, based on the Bernstein and Borkoveck procedure. This intervention will have the same number of sessions as the experimental intervention and last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the session.
centro salud mental Girones
Girona, Spain
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGCentro Salud Mental Selva Marítima
Girona, Spain
RECRUITINGHospital de Laredo
Laredo, Spain
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGHospital Sierrallana
Torrelavega, Spain
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGDepressive symptoms
Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 item (PHQ-9), adolescent version. Nine items assessing depressive symptoms with Likert response with values ranging from 0 to 3 (Total score range: 0-27; higher scores means a worse outcome)
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Depressive symptoms
Children's Depression Inventory, short version (CDI-S). Consists of 10 items answered on a three-point scale, where 0 = absence of the symptom, 1 = moderate symptom, and 2 = severe symptom. The total score ranges from 0 to 20. Higher scores means a worse outcome
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Anxiety symptoms
Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 item (GAD-7). It is composed of 7 Likert response items, ranging from 0 to 3 points (Total score range: 0-21). Higher scores means a worse outcome.
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Anxiety symptoms
Spence Children Anxiety Scale, short version (SCAS-S). It consists of 19 items, ranging from 0 to 3, as follows: 0 = "never", 1 = "sometimes", 2 = "many times", 3 =" always". Total scores range from 0-57 points. Higher scores means a worse outcome.
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
the Quality of life
KIDSCREEN-10 index. It is composed of 10 Likert response items, ranging from 1 to 5 points. (Total score range: 10-50). Higher scores means a better outcome.
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Somatizations
PHQ-15. is composed of 15 Likert response items, ranging from 0 to 2 points. (Total score range: 0-30). Higher scores means a worse outcome.
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Rumination
Ruminative Responses Scales (RRS), brooding subscale. It is composed of 5 Likert response items, ranging from 1 to 4 points. (Total score range: 5-20). Higher scores means a worse outcome.
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Pathological worry
Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), reduced 8-item version. It is composed of 8 Likert response items, ranging from 1 to 5 points. (Total score range: 5-40). Higher scores means a worse outcome.
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Attentional and interpretative biases
Inventory of Cognitive Activity in Anxiety Disorders (IACTA), abbreviated 5-item version. It is composed of 5 Likert response items, ranging from 0 to 4 points. (Total score range: 0-20). Higher scores means a worse outcome.
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Emotional regulation
Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). It is composed of 10 Likert response items, ranging from 1 to 7 points. It assess two emotion-regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal (6 items; range 6-42; higher scores means a better outcome) and expressive suppression (4 items; range 4-28: higher scores means a worse outcome)
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
Metacognitive beliefs
Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30); the 6-item negative metacognitive beliefs subscale. It is composed of 6 Likert response items, ranging from 1 to 4 points. (Total score range: 6-24). Higher scores means a worse outcome.
Time frame: 12 month follow-up period.
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.