Application and Evaluation of Group Cognitive Intervention for Depressed Adolescents

Early Phase 1

Completed

• Conditions: Community Adolescents at Risk for Depression and Suicide
• Interventions: Behavioral: CBT plus parent education; Behavioral: CBT alone

• Registration Number: NCT00946413
• Lead Sponsor: Taipei Medical University Hospital

Brief Summary

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective and CBT with parental involvement has potential in preventing and treating adolescent depression. The purpose of this study was to compare the short- and long-term effectiveness of CBT alone and CBT plus parental education for community-based adolescents at risk for depression and suicide in Taiwan. It is hypothesized that the CBT alone and CBT with parental education group are more effective than the control group.

Detailed Description

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is well known for its active, directive, time-limited, and structured approach. Despite an increasing prevalence of adolescent depression in Taiwan, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the immediate and long-term effectiveness of CBT for community-based adolescents at risk for depression and suicide. Also, little is known about the effectiveness of the involvement of parents in CBT groups. The Adolescent Coping with Depression Course (CWDA) (19) is an effective CBT-oriented group intervention for adolescent depression. However, it has not been tested in specific cultural groups. The primary purpose of this study was therefore to compare the immediate and long-term effectiveness of CBT alone, CBT with parental education, and control groups for community-based adolescents at risk for depression and suicide.A quasi-experimental research design was used in this study. Community-based high school students at risk for depression and suicide were recruited and assigned to one of two experimental groups or a control group. Students in the experimental groups received CBT plus parental education (group A, n = 9) or CBT alone (group B, n = 10). The control group was designed as a waiting list group (group C, n = 12). Both experimental groups received a follow-up session 1 year after the intervention. Several outcome variables (depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, cognitive triad, learned resourcefulness \[LR\], and salivary cortisol level) were used to determine the effectiveness of treatment.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2006-01
• Primary Completion: 2007-12
• Study Completion: 2007-12
• Status Verified: 2009-07
• Study First Submitted: 2009-07-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-07-24
• Last Update Submitted: 2009-07-24
• Study First Posted: 2009-07-27
• Last Update Posted: 2009-07-27

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 31

Inclusion Criteria

• willing to participate group assignment and grant consents

Exclusion Criteria

• unwilling to participate potential group activity and grant consents
• severe physical or psychiatric disorders

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
CBT plus parent education	CBT plus parent education	-
CBT alone	CBT alone	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, cognitive triad, learned resourcefulness (LR), and salivary cortisol	6

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

School of Nursing, Taipei Medical University; 🇨🇳 Taipei, Taiwan