Clinical trial NCT00904891: Testing the Effectiveness of Adolescent Depression Prevention Programs (The OregonBlues Study)
Official title: Effectiveness Trial of an Adolescent Depression Prevention Program
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE2
PHASE3
Conditions: Depression
Keywords: Adolescents
Prevention
Bibliotherapy
Lead sponsor: Oregon Research Institute
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
First posted: 2009-05-20
Enrollment: 390
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 13
Maximum age (years): 19
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This study will test the effectiveness of two programs for preventing depression in adolescents.

Detailed description: Major depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders experienced by adolescents. Even adolescents with depressive symptoms below the level of diagnosis are at increased risk of a range of future problems, such as psychiatric disorders, impaired social functioning, and substance abuse.

Depression prevention therapies have had mixed results. Those that are implemented universally have shown little efficacy, although those that specifically target adolescents at risk of depression have shown greater efficacy. A large scale effectiveness trial-one that applies treatments outside of a lab in "real world" settings-of a targeted depression prevention therapy has not been conducted. This study will test the effectiveness of two therapies for preventing depression in adolescents. The first is a brief, group cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program, and the second is bibliotherapy, which involves giving participants a self-help book for depression. Bibliotherapy has shown efficacy in previous research but has not been examined in an effectiveness trial.

Participation in this study will last 24 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a six-session, cognitive-behavioral depression prevention group; a bibliotherapy group; and an assessment only group. Participants in the cognitive-behavioral group will meet with a study therapist and other group members to learn strategies for preventing depression. Participants in the bibliotherapy group will be given a self-help book titled "Feeling Good" with information on preventing depression. Participants in the assessment only group will receive a pamphlet on depression symptoms and treatment. All participants will complete assessments at baseline; after the cognitive-behavioral group has been completed; and at 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-ups. These assessments will include an interview about depression symptoms and a survey about thoughts, feelings, actions, depression, and substance abuse.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* High school student
* Subthreshold depressive symptoms

Exclusion Criteria:

* Meets criteria for major depression or dysthymia

Primary outcomes:
measure: Depressive symptoms obtained from Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS)
timeFrame: Measured at baseline; post-treatment; and after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Score on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
timeFrame: Measured at baseline; post-treatment; and after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Eugene
country: United States
facility: Oregon Research Institute
state: Oregon
Study officials:
affiliation: Oregon Research Institute
name: Paul D. Rohde, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: