Internet Transdiagnostic-CBT for Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents

Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Emotional Disorder; Anxiety Disorder; Depressive Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: The AMTE protocol

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04182061

BSandin

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study represents the first research program to assess the efficacy of transdiagnostic cognitive behavior therapy (T-CBT) delivered via internet for anxiety and depression in adolescents. The primary aim of the study was to implement the program AMTE (Aprende a Manejar tus Emociones [Learn to Manage Your Emotions]), an internet delivered T-CBT protocol designed to target both anxiety and depression symptoms and disorders (major depression disorder, dysthymic disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder) in adolescents, and to establish its preliminary efficacy on anxiety and depressive symptomatology. A secondary objective is to demonstrate its potential effect regarding: (a) transdiagnostic measures associated with etiology of emotional disorders including negative affect, anxiety sensitivity, and emotional avoidance, and (b) positive factors including satisfaction with life and positive affect. It is expected that the T-CBT condition will be more effective than the waitlist (WL) control group on the primary (anxiety and depression) and secondary (transdiagnostic and positive factors) outcome measures.

Enrollment: 80 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Having identified Spanish as the first official language spoken and having good reading comprehension in Spanish.
• Reliable internet access.
• Meeting the DSM-IV diagnosis criteria for more than one emotional disorder (separation anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, major depression disorder, and dysthymia).
• No current participating in cognitive-behavioral therapy.
• No changes in medication for 4 weeks prior to the study; no changes in medication for the next 3 months.

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of psychotic symptoms or severe depression.
• Being diagnosed an alcohol and/or substance dependence disorder.
• The presence of high suicidal risk.
• A medical condition which prevents the participant from carry out the psychological treatment.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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80 participants in 2 patient groups

The AMTE Protocol

Experimental group

Description:

Will receive the AMTE ("Aprende a Manejar tus Emociones") Protocol; this is a modified UP-A adapted as an internet-based program of T-CBT, consisting in 10 modules delivered over 12 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: The AMTE protocol

Waiting List Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in a 12-week waiting list control condition. They will be offered the possibility of receiving the online treatment protocol after the waiting list period.