Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Early-Onset Depression

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

Detailed Description
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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.

Official Title
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Comprehensive Treatment for Depressed Youth: An Outcome Evaluation Study

Conditions
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Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Children and adolescents meeting DSM-IV criteria for either Major Depression or Dysthymic Disorder. Exclusion Criteria: Psychotic, Actively suicidal, IQ less than 80, Unable to speak English

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 10 Years
Maximum Age: 17 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy|Cognitive behaviour versus standard care|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diagnosis on structured interview |  | pre and post-intervention | 
| Children's Depression Inventory score |  | pre- and post-intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children |  | pre- and post-intervention | 
| Children's Global Assessment Scale |  | pre- and post-intervention | 
| Brief Family Assessment Measure |  | pre- and post-intervention | 
| Perceived Competence Scale for Children |  | pre- and post-intervention | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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depression, cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, parenting, children and adolescents