Activating and Connecting Teens (ACT) Study

University of Washington

Status

Completed

Conditions

Depression

Treatments

Behavioral: Behavioral Activation

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

NIH

Identifiers

NCT03438656

STUDY00002283

K23MH112872 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

National data indicate over 650,000 children and adolescents are exposed to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or physical or emotional neglect each year. Moreover, youth with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) are at least twice as likely to develop depression and are at substantial risk for nonresponse to current best practice depression interventions (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants) compared to non-maltreated peers. Research suggests that CM increases risk for depression through disruptions in the positive valence system, such as reward processing, and Behavioral Activation (BA) may be an alternative depression intervention that targets these deficits. This proposal will examine whether BA intervention reduces depression and anhedonia in a sample of depressed adolescents, aged 13-18, with variable histories of CM exposure (BA Group). A total of 30 depressed adolescents will be recruited to undergo a 12-week course of BA. All participants will undergo clinical assessment to measure depression symptoms and anhedonia at baseline (Week 0) and post- (Week 12) treatment.

Enrollment

32 patients

Sex

All

Ages

12 to 18 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria Behavioral Activation Group:

current diagnosis of clinical depression (minor or major) will be recruited as study participants in the Behavioral Activation (BA) Group

Exclusion Criteria:

IQ < 80;
non-English speaking youth or parent;
current PTSD diagnosis;
lifetime history of a developmental (e.g., autism), neurological (e.g., epilepsy), psychotic, bipolar, or substance disorder;
current psychiatric (e.g., antidepressants) or other mood altering medication (e.g., steroids) other than AD/HD medication;
requiring a higher level of care (i.e., inpatient hospitalization) due to suicidality or other mental or physical health related problem.
Any youths who are currently being maltreated will not be enrolled to ensure that participants do not have active safety concerns.
Full course of other evidence-based depression intervention