Telehealth Behavioral Activation for Teens
Baylor College of Medicine
Summary
Behavioral activation is one such empirically supported intervention. Derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy, a well-established treatment for depression, behavioral activation uses psychoeducation and skill-building to increase an individual's engagement in valued and enjoyable activities (e.g., socializing with family and friends, exercising, participating in a hobby) in order to improve depressive symptoms. Research has shown that behavioral activation is an effective intervention for depressed youth. Additionally, it has been shown as a promising intervention that can be conducted in a brief, virtual format and can be effectively implemented by both trained clinicians and trained, non-licensed interventionists. This project will provide Behavioral Activation for youth (12-17) experiencing depression or suicidal ideation who are currently enrolled in the Youth Depression Suicide Network study in Texas.
Description
Rates of youth depression and suicide are rising worldwide and present a critical public health problem. Between 2007 and 2018, rates of fatal suicide among U.S. youth and young adults increased by 57.4%, becoming the second leading cause of all deaths for Americans between the ages of 10 and 34 in 2020. Similarly, between 2009 and 2019, rates of past year major depressive episodes among adolescents in the United States increased from 8.1% to 15.8% (roughly 1 in 6). Despite these high rates of suicide and depression, Texas is rated 51st in access to mental healthcare in the United States. As u…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 12–18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants must be enrolled in the Texas Youth Depression Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN) Registry Study; 2. Be between the ages of 12- 18 or currently enrolled in high school; 3. Have a caregiver that is willing to participate in the program; 4. Be able to commit to weekly sessions for eight weeks; 5. Be currently experiencing depressive symptoms; 6. Be able to participate in telehealth services within the state of Texas; 7. Be willing to provide consent/assent (parents/legally authorized representative (LAR)/guardian or young adult participant, aged 18 or older,…
Interventions
- OtherBehavioral Activation
All participants will undergo behavioral activation treatment for 8-10 weeks
Location
- Baylor College of MedicineHouston, Texas