Clinical Trial: The Efficacy of Parent Involvement in the Treatment of Adolescent Depression

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: The Efficacy of Parent Involvement in the Treatment of Adolescent Depression

Brief Summary: The primary aim of this study is to examine whether adolescent depression and the family context in which it develops is best treated using an individual adolescent intervention or an intervention that includes both the adolescent and the parents. This will be accomplished by conducting a randomized controlled pilot study of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A) in comparison to Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents and Parents (IPT-AP).

Detailed Summary: The primary aim of this project is to examine whether adolescent depression and the family context within which it develops is best treated using an individual adolescent intervention or an intervention that includes both the adolescent and the parents. This will be accomplished by conducting a randomized controlled pilot study of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A) in comparison to Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents and Parents (IPT-AP). Twenty-two families with adolescents (ages 12-17) who meet criteria for major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, depressive disorder NOS, or adjustment disorder with depressed mood and also report elevated levels of parent-adolescent relationship problems will be randomized to receive IPT-A or IPT-AP. Assessments will be administered at screening, baseline, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 16 (post-treatment), and 4 months post-treatment. Outcome measures will include depression symptoms, quality of parent-adolescent relationships, parents' and adolescents' communication skills (assessed through observational coding of a parent-adolescent conflict negotiation task), and adolescents' physiological stress responses to negotiating conflict with a parent (assessed through collection of salivary cortisol). Identifying the best approach to treating both the adolescent's depression and the family environment in which it develops and is maintained would have significant implications for the long-term outcomes of depressed adolescents and their families.
Sponsor: New York State Psychiatric Institute

Current Primary Outcome: Children's Depression Rating Scale [ Time Frame: baseline, week 4, 8, 12, 16, 32 ]

Original Primary Outcome:

Current Secondary Outcome:

Original Secondary Outcome:

Information By: New York State Psychiatric Institute

Dates:
Date Received: April 16, 2009
Date Started: January 2009
Date Completion:
Last Updated: April 12, 2012
Last Verified: April 2012