Using Neuroimaging to Understand Children's Mental Health and Treatment Outcomes
Condition: Anxiety; Depression; Trauma; Behavior Problems
MeSH terms: Depression; Problem Behavior
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The study will compare the impact of Child STEPs versus usual school-based therapy on neural
      and companion behavioral measures of self-regulation.
    

Detailed description: 
      This project will implement and evaluate the Child STEPs treatment approach as compared to
      "treatment as usual" (known as Usual Care or UC) through a randomized controlled trial (RCT)
      at eight K-8 public schools. The STEPs model has two components: (1) a modular protocol that
      combines 33 modules-i.e., descriptions of common elements within evidence-based therapies for
      anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and conduct problems; and (2) a web-based system
      for monitoring student responses to treatment and providing weekly feedback to therapists to
      guide their selection and sequencing of the STEPs modules. The project will examine: (a)
      whether self-regulation skills at baseline are associated with baseline patterns of mental
      health and school problems; (b) whether self-regulation skills at baseline predict degree of
      improvement during treatment; (c) whether self-regulation skills improve from pre-to post
      treatment, and whether extent of this improvement differs by treatment condition; and (d)
      whether self-regulation improvement (from pre-to-post treatment) mediates the long-term
      benefit of treatment.
    

Intervention name(s): Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Conduct Problems; Monitoring and Feedback System; Treatment as usual
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Other; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): MATCH-ADTC is designed for children aged 6-15. Unlike most evidence-based treatments (EBTs), which focus on single disorder categories (e.g., anxiety only), MATCH is designed for multiple disorders and problems encompassing anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and disruptive conduct, including the conduct problems associated with ADHD. MATCH is composed of 33 modules-i.e., specific treatment procedures derived from decades of research on EBTs. The various modules can be organized and sequenced flexibly to tailor treatment to each child's characteristics and needs.; For each child, the web-based MFS system provides weekly monitoring of the MATCH modules used and the child's treatment response, in two forms (a) changes on the Behavior and Emotions Survey and (b) changes in severity of the top treatment concerns identified by youths and caregivers. At the end of treatment, the MFS provides a complete record of modules used, and child treatment response, across all the weeks of treatment.; Treatment in the UC condition will use the procedures therapists and their supervisors consider appropriate and believe to be effective.
Other intervention name(s): MATCH; MATCH - ADTC; MFS; Usual Care; UC
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: anxiety; depression; trauma; behavior problems; evidence-based treatments; manualized treatments; cognitive-behavioral therapy; youth; mental health; self-regulation; neuroimaging