R4Power: An Online Resilience Program for Adolescents

Swarthmore College

Status and phase: Unknown; Phase 1

Conditions: Depression; Anxiety

Treatments: Other: Waitlist Control; Behavioral: R4Power Program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00641368

07-08-003

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study will evaluate the R4Power program, an online intervention designed to teach adolescents coping and problem-solving skills.

Full description

This study examines the feasibility of a 10-lesson web-based intervention, the R4Power program, and its effectiveness in preventing symptoms of depression and anxiety. The R4Power Program teaches cognitive and problem-solving skills covered in classroom based interventions, including the Penn Resiliency Program, that have been found to reduce or prevent symptoms of depression in children and adolescents. This study examines whether adolescents can benefit from learning these skills through a computer (rather than classroom) intervention.

Adolescents in grades 6 through 8 who participate in this study will be assigned to one of two conditions: an intervention group that will complete the R4Power program during the first year (R4Power1), or a waitlist control group that will complete the R4Power program the following year (R4Power2). Students will complete the 10-lesson program over the course of twelve weeks. They will learn and practice cognitive skills (recognizing the link between their thoughts and feelings, identifying thinking traps, challenging their negative beliefs) and problem-solving skills (assertiveness, relaxation and distraction, overcoming procrastination, and decision making). Adolescents who participate in this study will be followed for one year, and their coping responses and symptoms of depression and anxiety will be assessed at four points: at the beginning of the study (baseline) and at follow-up assessments approximately 4, 12 and 16 months after baseline.

Enrollment: 200 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 11 to 15 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 6th-8th grade students attending participating school OR adolescents aged 11-15 living in greater Philadelphia area
• Access to high speed internet connection (at home, school, or another location)

Exclusion criteria

• Below 6th grade reading level, as reported by parents

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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200 participants in 2 patient groups

1

Experimental group

Description:

R4Power Program

Treatment:

Behavioral: R4Power Program

2

Other group

Description:

Waitlist Control

Treatment:

Other: Waitlist Control