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Reducing Health Risk Behavior and Improving Health in Adolescents With Depression

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) logo

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Status and phase

Completed
Phase 2
Phase 1

Conditions

Depression
Adolescent Health

Treatments

Behavioral: Behavioral health intervention
Other: Treatment as usual

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other
NIH

Identifiers

NCT00461539
R01MH078596 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
DAHBR 96-BHB

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will determine the effectiveness of a health education intervention in reducing health risk behavior and improving health in adolescents with depression.

Full description

Depression is a common disorder among adolescents. If left untreated, it can cause significant disability, illness, and even death. Teens with depression often engage in risky health behaviors, such as smoking, drug and alcohol use, unprotected sex, and unhealthy eating and exercise patterns. By reducing these health risk behaviors, depressed adolescents may be able to avoid negative health consequences and improve their physical and mental health. This study will determine the effectiveness of a health education intervention in reducing risky health behaviors in adolescents with depression.

Participants in this study will be invited to enroll during a visit to a participating primary care clinic. Participants will be randomly assigned to either partake in a health education intervention or receive standard care. Both groups will continue to receive treatment through their primary care clinic. Those participants receiving standard care will be referred to special programs as needed to reduce their involvement in risky health behaviors. Participants assigned to the health education intervention will attend 10 weekly education sessions that will be led by trained health educators. Parents or guardians may be asked to attend sessions depending on their interest in the intervention and the age of the youth participant. Topics covered will include teenage smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and obesity. Cognitive-behavioral strategies, role playing, and media clips will be used to stimulate discussion and involvement in the intervention. The intervention will be tailored to target the specific risky behaviors in which each participant engages. Motivational interviewing will also be used to build positive attitudes to support behavior change. All participants will attend follow-up visits to assess behavior change at Months 6 and 12 following study entry.

Enrollment

217 patients

Sex

All

Ages

13 to 18 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • CIDI diagnosis of major depression or probable depression based on youth self report
  • Availability of a family member to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Lacks contact information (e.g., address, telephone number)
  • Any functioning deficits or other characteristics that might interfere with study participation
  • Currently in a living situation that might interfere with study participation (e.g., lives over 1 hour away from the study site)
  • Lacks family available to participate in the intervention
  • Mental retardation
  • Does not speak English or Spanish

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

217 participants in 2 patient groups

2
Active Comparator group
Description:
Participants will receive treatment as usual
Treatment:
Other: Treatment as usual
1
Experimental group
Description:
Participants will receive the behavioral health intervention
Treatment:
Behavioral: Behavioral health intervention

Trial contacts and locations

2

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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