Volunteering as an Intervention to Reduce Depression Among Adolescents

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Depression; Adolescent Behavior; Depressive Symptoms
• Interventions: Behavioral: Volunteer experience

• Registration Number: NCT03816215
• Lead Sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Brief Summary

The purpose of the present study is to test in a preliminary manner an innovative strategy for treating depression among adolescents (alongside existing therapy) using community volunteerism.

Detailed Description

The purpose of the present study is to test in a preliminary manner an innovative strategy for treating depression among adolescents (alongside existing therapy) using community volunteerism. In addition, this study will test a potential mechanism by which volunteering might decrease depressive symptoms: increasing psychosocial assets, specifically decreasing self-orientation and increasing an orientation toward others. This will be measured through self-report as well as using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This study will be the first study to explore how neural response patterns are potentially altered by intense experiences with volunteerism among depressed adolescents.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2019-01-22
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-01-24
• Study First Posted: 2019-01-25
• Study Start: 2019-06-03
• Status Verified: 2020-03
• Primary Completion: 2020-08-01
• Study Completion: 2020-08-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-03-01
• Last Update Posted: 2021-03-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 9

Inclusion Criteria

• age 14-20
• new mild to moderate depression diagnosis (single episode)
• new mild to moderate anxiety diagnosis
• new adjustment disorder diagnosis
• have been in treatment for < 8 months
• right-handed

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Exclusion Criteria

• history of recurrent depressive, anxiety or adjustment disorder episodes
• have been in treatment > 8 months
• left-handed
• expressing suicidal ideation
• claustrophobia
• any contraindications for completing an MRI scan

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Adolescent Participants	Volunteer experience	Participants will be assigned to participate in community service (from a menu of options) for 30 hours.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Participant recruitment	6 months	Number of participants screened (reported by clinical mental health providers)
Participant retention	6 months	Number of participants retained in full study
Depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory)	6 months	Beck Depression Inventory to measure depressive symptoms. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 to 3. The minimum total score is 0 and the maximum total score is 63. Higher scores denote worse outcome

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Self-efficacy	6 months	NIH toolbox measure from 1 (never) to 5 (very often); scores will be averaged and high score indicates more self-efficacy.
Empathy	6 months	IRI (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) subscale to measure empathy on a 5 point scale from 1- strongly disagree to 5 -strongly agree. Scores will be averaged; higher score denotes more empathy.
Strength of Connectivity in DMN (Default Mode Network)	6 months	Default Mode Network Connectivity will be measured using fMRI at rest and while processing emotional pictures before and after volunteering intervention. The strength of connectivity within the DMN will be calculated by averaging attributes for each node in the DMN.
Hope scale (Abler et al., 2017)	6 months	Hope scale (Abler et al., 2017) will be measured on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Items will be averaged; higher scores denote better outcome (more hope).
Beck Hopelessness Inventory	6 months	Beck Hopelessness Inventory will be used (scored from 1-20; higher score denotes worse outcome).
Orientation Toward Others	6 months	5 point scale from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree. Scores will be averaged; higher score denotes more orientation toward others.

Trial Locations

Locations (3)

Trinity Center, Inc; 🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

TriCare, PA; 🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Private practice; 🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States