Task-Shifting for Youth Suicide Prevention

Overview

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and mechanisms of change of a brief adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A), adapted and task-shifted to lay providers (mentors, youth trusted adults) in youth community centers (YCCs) as an upstream approach to suicide. It focuses on Hispanic adolescents ages 12-17 enrolled in these YCCs. The pragmatic clinical trial will evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of adapted IPT-A delivered by mentors in YCCs and whether adapted IPT-A impacts mechanisms of change (depression symptoms, belongingness, and feeling like a burden to others). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is adpated IPT-A, when delivered by trained youth mentors, feasible and acceptable in youth community centers? * Does adapted IPT-A target key risk factors (e.g., depressive symptoms, low belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness) associated with suicide ideation? Researchers will compare adolescents randomized to adapted IPT-A (6 sessions) delivered by a trained youth mentor with those receiving usual services at the community center (one individual session focused on active listening). Participants will: * Be screened for subthreshold depression using the PHQ-9 adolescent version. Adolescents will be included if they score between 4 and 9 (mild depression). Adolescents with a PHQ-9 score of 10 or higher will not be eligible and will be referred to a licensed mental health provider for appropriate care. * Be randomized to adapted IPT-A or usual care. * Youth in the intervention arm will participate in 6 weekly adapted IPT-A sessions with a trained youth mentor focused on education, affect identification, and interpersonal skills.