Assessment of a Character Strengths Intervention in Improving Treatment Outcomes Among Psychiatrically Hospitalized Youth
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- University of Michigan
- Enrollment
- 153
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in depression symptoms over time compared to baseline
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Research has shown that identifying and using one's character strengths in new ways decreases depressive symptoms and increases happiness in adults in the general population. Recently, we found that a similar intervention increases the self-esteem and self-efficacy of children and adolescents being treated in an inpatient psychiatric unit. The purpose of this study is to better understand the effects that discovering one's character strengths and incorporating them into coping skills will have on treatment outcomes in patients admitted to a child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit.
Detailed Description
The primary aim of this study is to investigate whether a character strengths-based intervention results in significant improvements in measures of depression, anxiety, resiliency, optimism, self-perception, and life-satisfaction of psychiatrically hospitalized youth up to three months following admission. Secondary aims are to: (1) examine participants' strengths profile to identify potential correlates between character strengths, psychiatric diagnoses and intervention effectiveness; and (2) determine whether patients who continue to incorporate their strengths into coping skills at follow-up assessments exhibit greater improvement over-time.
Participants will be 210 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years admitted to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Program and will be randomized into one of the three groups. All participants will complete the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth (VIA-Youth) Survey on their second hospital day and subsequently receive the signature strengths intervention (experimental group), coping skills with memory aids comparison exercise (positive control group), or coping skills without memory aids (treatment-as-usual control group). Outcome measures will be completed by all participants at baseline (day 1 on unit), post-treatment (day 4 on unit), and 1- and 3-months following admission. The proposed research represents a change in paradigm, as we aim to specifically examine the therapeutic benefit of the positive psychology element of our intervention conducted in the pilot study among youth with severe mental illness.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Supportive Care
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 12 Years to 17 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Patient on Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit
Exclusion Criteria
- •Cognitive disability or severe psychosis preventing understanding of survey measures
- •Prior use of VIA-Youth Survey
- •Absence of legal guardian to consent
Arms & Interventions
Signature Strengths
Patients will complete the Values in Action Youth Survey (VIA-Youth) and will receive a list of his/her top character strengths ("signature strengths"). The patient will then participate in the Identifying and Using Signature Strengths Intervention.
Intervention: Identifying and Using Signature Strengths (Behavioral)
Coping Skills + Memory Aid
Patients will complete the VIA-Youth but will not receive any results. The patient will then participate in the Identifying and Writing Down Coping Skills Intervention.
Intervention: Identifying and Writing Down Coping Skills (Behavioral)
Coping Skills (Treatment as Usual)
Patients will complete the VIA-Youth but will not receive any results. After completing the VIA-Youth, the study team member and patient will have a treatment-as-usual discussion about coping skills. (This is equivalent to treatment as usual that is already provided on the psychiatric unit-doctors and nurses on the unit already have this a discussion about coping skills with patients).
Intervention: Treatment as Usual (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in depression symptoms over time compared to baseline
Time Frame: baseline, 3 days, 1 month, 3 months
Depression will be measured using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) for adolescents, and percent change in depression score will be compared across the 3 arms.
Change in anxiety symptoms over time compared to baseline
Time Frame: baseline, 3 days, 1 month, 3 months
Anxiety will be measured using the 5-item Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and percent change in anxiety score will be compared across the 3 arms.
Secondary Outcomes
- Change in self-esteem over time compared to baseline(baseline, 3 days, 1 month, 3 months)
- Change in self-efficacy over time compared to baseline(baseline, 3 days, 1 month, 3 months)
- Change in resiliency over time compared to baseline(baseline, 3 days, 1 month, 3 months)
- Change in life-satisfaction over time compared to baseline(baseline, 3 days, 1 month, 3 months)
Investigators
Paresh Patel
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Michigan