Applying the Spanish Version of the UP-A as a Universal School-based Anxiety and Depression Prevention Program

Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depression; Anxiety

Treatments: Behavioral: Same than experimental group (EG), after EG finishes; Behavioral: UP-A adapted as a preventive intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03123991

13/03315

Details and patient eligibility

About

The current study proposes to extend transdiagnostic treatment research to adolescents by establishing initial pre to post-treatment and follow-up outcomes associated with the use of the Spanish Version of the Unified Protocol for the Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A; Ehrenreich-May, Bilek, Buzzella, Kennedy, Mash, & Bennett, 2016) as a universal school-based preventive intervention.

Full description

The study has the primary aim to examine whether a transdiagnostic CBT intervention adapted as a school-based universal preventive intervention and delivered by professionals is more effective than the usual school curriculum in: (1) reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and (2) preventing high levels of anxiety and depression from developing in 13-18 years old adolescents.

The study has the following secondary aims: (1) Examine the reduction in negative affect, anxiety sensitivity, emotional avoidance and emotional symptoms' interference levels at post-treatment as compared to pre-treatment levels; (3) Examine the improvement in positive affect, self-esteem, satisfaction with life, quality of life, school adjustment, and general indiscipline at post-treatment as compared to pre-treatment levels; (4) Examine the moderating role of gender, age, social economic status, personality traits, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer problems on the effectiveness of the UP-A program; (5) Assess the moderating role of home practice, understanding of basic concepts of the program, number of sessions attended, practice of specific strategies and behavior during sessions (6) Examine if the effects at post-treatment are maintained at the 3 month follow up; (7) Assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing UP-A in a group format and in a school setting.

Enrollment: 157 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 11 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Providing written, informed consent (both the adolescent and at least one of the parents or legal tutors)
• Being able to understand, write and read Spanish

Exclusion criteria

• No other exclusion criteria because of being an universal prevention study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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157 participants in 2 patient groups

Experimental Group

Experimental group

Description:

UP-A adapted as a preventive intervention. Specifically, the Spanish version of The Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A) adapted as a 9 sessions school-based preventive intervention. The intervention is delivered in nine weekly sessions (each session lasting around 55 minutes).

Treatment:

Behavioral: UP-A adapted as a preventive intervention

Wait-list Control Group

Other group

Description:

Same than experimental group (EG), after EG finishes. Specifically, classes in waitlist condition will be offered the same intervention than experimental group after EG finishes the three months follow-up.Before that, waitlist means that the classess work as usual with issues of mental health.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Same than experimental group (EG), after EG finishes