Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents Engaging in Non-suicidal Self-injury

Phase 1

Completed

• Conditions: Depression; Self-injurious Behavior
• Interventions: Behavioral: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents

• Registration Number: NCT00401102
• Lead Sponsor: New York State Psychiatric Institute

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of using Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A) to treat adolescents who are experiencing symptoms of depression and are engaging in non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors. The trial will include recruiting 10 particpants, administering 12-sessions of individual IPT-A, and determining how the IPT-A protocol needs to be amended to adequately address the self-injury in addition to depression.

Detailed Description

Engagement in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), purposefully harming oneself without the conscious intent to die such as cutting or burning, is pervasive among adolescents. Lifetime prevalence estimates among community samples of high school students range from 13.0% to 23.2%. Despite the significance of this public health problem, there are no known interventions that successfully reduce the frequency of NSSI or prevent NSSI in adolescents. The goal of the current study is to develop an effective psychosocial intervention for NSSI among adolescents who are engaging in self-injury and have a depressive disorder. Specifically, we will amend Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A), a psychotherapy that has demonstrated efficacy in treating depressed adolescents (Mufson et al., 1994, 1999, 2004), for use with adolescents with depression who are engaging in NSSI, with the ultimate goal of curing the depression and NSSI. Ten participants will be administered IPT-A and assessed several times throughout the course of the trial. It is expected that IPT-A will be a useful treatment for co-morbid depression and self-injury, although adaptations to the protocol will likely be needed to address the behavioral aspect of the self-injury. Data analyses will be descriptive in nature and involve examining the individual trajectories of depression and NSSI over time. The data obtained from the current study will lay the groundwork for an ultimate randomized controlled trial in which we plan to compare IPT-A versus nondirective supportive therapy in the treatment of co-morbid depression and NSSI.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2006-11
• Study First Submitted: 2006-11-15
• Study First Submitted QC: 2006-11-15
• Study First Posted: 2006-11-17
• Primary Completion: 2009-09
• Study Completion: 2009-09
• Status Verified: 2012-12
• Results First Submitted: 2012-12-20
• Results First Submitted QC: 2012-12-20
• Last Update Submitted: 2012-12-20
• Results First Posted: 2013-01-28
• Last Update Posted: 2013-01-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 10

Inclusion Criteria

1. 12 to 18 years of age
2. Diagnosis of MDD, Dysthymic Disorder, Depressive Disorder NOS, Adjustment Disorder with depressed Mood
3. Non-suicidal self-injurious behavior
4. CDRS >= 36
5. C-GAS <= 65
6. English speaking patient
7. One English speaking caregiver -

Exclusion Criteria

1. Suicide attempt within past 6 months or actively suicidal
2. Severe incident of non-suicidal self-injury in past 3 months
3. Severe episode of MDD
4. Treatment resistant non-suicidal self-injury
5. Frequent non-suicidal self-injury
6. Mentally retarded
7. Current diagnosis of: PTSD, OCD, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis, Substance Dependence, ADHD
8. Current substance use
9. Currently in active treatment for same condition
10. Currently taking antidepressant medication
11. Medical illness likely to interfere with treatment -

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Interpersonal psychotherapy	Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents	All participants received interpersonal psychotherapy adapted for self-injury

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
CGI	1 week
C-GAS	1 month
CDRS	1 week
Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview	8 weeks
Self-injury Monitoring Card	1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Beck Depression Inventory	2 weeks
Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children	recently

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

New York State Psychiatric Institute; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States