The acceptability and effectiveness of simple interventions in reducing mental health problems in help-seeking young people

Phase 4

Completed

• Conditions: Emerging, sub-threshold or early stages of anxiety disorders; Emerging, sub-threshold or early stages of depressive disorders; Mental Health - Depression; Mental Health - Anxiety; Mental Health - Other mental health disorders

• Registration Number: ACTRN12608000550303
• Lead Sponsor: Orygen Youth Health - Research Centre

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2008-10-30
• Last Update Posted: 13 January 2020

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 160

Inclusion Criteria

Help-seeking young people aged 12-25 years who present or are referred to Western Melbourne headspace, with emerging mental health problems, defined as:
(a) Depressive/anxious symptoms of more than one week’s duration (operationalised as a score >20 on K10); OR
(b) Impaired social, vocational, educational, or family functioning (operationalised as a 20% drop in Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale over past month); AND
(c) No prior treatment for depressive/anxious symptoms beyond stage 1a or 1b of the clinical staging model (McGorry et al 2006) (operationalised as estimated therapeutic levels of 4 sessions of formal psychotherapy (e.g., Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy) or 4 weeks of pharmacotherapy)
- Ability to provide informed consent
- Adequate comprehension of English to enable participation in both the interventions and assessments

Exclusion Criteria

- Evidence of emerging psychosis, operationalised as at least one of the following symptoms measured on the expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (exBPRS; Ventura et al 1993), rated 1 (not present) to 7 (extremely severe), present on a daily basis for at least one week: - exBPRS Item 9. Suspiciousness > 4 - exBPRS Item 10. Hallucinations >4 - exBPRS Item 11. Unusual thought content >4 - exBPRS Item 15. Conceptual Disorganization >3
- Young people with these symptoms would be referred to Orygen Youth Health’s Youth Access Team to be assessed whether the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) at Orygen Youth Health is the most appropriate service for their needs
- Specific suicidal plan or intent as defined by a score of 5 or more on the exBPRS Suicidality subscale (i.e., many fantasies about suicide, specific suicide plan, non-lethal attempt) that has been maintained for one week. Referral to treatment as usual within Western Melbourne headspace or another appropriate service will ensue
- Participants who are already engaging in levels of exercise meeting the Australian government guidelines (<18 years, 60 mins/day moderate to vigorous activity; >18 years, 30 mins moderate-intensity physical activity, most or all days
- Organic mental disorders or an estimated Intelligent Quotient <70

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified