Clinical Research Directory

Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.

Sites Groups Studies

Back to Studies

COMPLETED

NCT03100279

Process and Outcomes in CBT for Anxious and Depressed Youth

Sponsor: Rutgers University

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

The current study will evaluate the predictors, mediators, outcomes, and critical therapy processes associated with manual-based psychological therapies for 400 youth (ages 7-16 years) with anxiety and/or depression seeking services within a semi-natural clinic setting. Essentially, this study seeks to determine "what works" about psychological therapy for youth.

Official title: Psychotherapy Process and Outcomes in Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Anxious and Depressed Youth

Key Details

Gender

All

Age Range

7 Years - 17 Years

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Enrollment

247

Start Date

2005-07-01

Completion Date

2020-01-31

Last Updated

2026-07-17

Healthy Volunteers

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders Depression

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Coping Cat/CAT Project

The "Coping Cat" program, developed by Kendall and colleagues (Kendall, 1994; Kendall, 2000; Kendall, Kane, Howard, \& Siqueland, 1989; Kendall, Flannery-Schroeder et al., 1997), involves (1) teaching children to identify their own anxious feelings and physiological signs of anxiety, (2) teaching children to identify their own anxiety-provoking cognitions, (3) developing a plan to guide coping - a plan that involves changing the child's thoughts (into positive self-talk) and actions (into self-initiated exposures), and (4) self-evaluation and self-reward. The therapist uses modeling (e.g., revealing therapist's own anxiety and sharing successful coping experiences), in vivo exposure tasks, role-playing (e.g., to prepare for exposure tasks), relaxation training, and contingent reinforcement (e.g., for trying and for succeeding at exposure tasks), in developing these four themes.

BEHAVIORAL

Primary and Secondary Coping Enhancement Therapy

PASCET is a brief (11-15 sessions) CBT program for depressed youths typically aged 8-15. Sessions and practice assignments are built on findings concerning cognitive and behavioral features of youth depression (e.g., Lewinsohn et al., 1990; Stark et al., 1987), and on the two-process model of perceived control and coping (Rothbaum, Weisz, \& Snyder, 1982; Weisz et al., 1984a,b). In this model, primary control involves efforts to cope by making objective conditions (e.g., one's activities, one's peer status) conform to one's wishes. In contrast, secondary control involves coping by adjusting oneself (e.g., one's expectations, interpretations) to fit objective conditions, so as to influence their subjective impact without altering the actual conditions. The goal is for youngsters to build their skills in primary and secondary control coping, and apply those skills to events and conditions that can trigger depression. Therapists are guided by a Therapist's Manual and use a youth workbook.

Inclusion Criteria: We expect 200 youth (ages 7-16 years) with a primary anxiety disorder and 200 youth (ages 7 - 16 years) with a primary depressive disorder to serve as participants. To participate, a youth must meet criteria for a primary DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Specific Phobia, Panic Disorder with or without a history of Agoraphobia, Major Depression Disorder, Minor Depression, or Dysthymia. Diagnosis will be based on both youth and parent report during an Independent Evaluator (IE) semi-structured interview. Youth may also participate with a subclinical diagnosis for any of these disorders if: (a) the youth demonstrates sufficient symptoms but does not yet reach clinical levels of impairment OR (b) the youth demonstrates only several symptoms related to the above disorders but demonstrates clinical impairment, AND (c) the consenting parent agrees that anxiety or mood problems would be appropriate as a clinical focus for treatment. Allowing youth with subclinical diagnoses will allow the study to investigate the effectiveness of the therapies across a range of clinical severity. This design models usual community care where a larger range of severity is witnessed and many youth may not meet all criteria for formal diagnosis. After receiving an initial diagnostic assessment, the parent must consent and the youth must assent to continued participation in the study and must be willing to receive psychological therapy at the Youth Anxiety and Depression Clinic (YAD-C), a specialty program within the outpatient clinic of the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP). Exclusion Criteria: Youth who have a primary diagnosis of a DSM-IV disorder other than anxiety or depression (e.g., anorexia nervosa, Postraumatic Stress Disorder, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder), or who have received any diagnosis of mental retardation, a pervasive developmental disorder, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder will be excluded. Youth who demonstrate suicidal ideation or intent (by child or parent report) severe enough to require current hospitalization, or youth who have attempted suicide in the past 3 months, will also be excluded. These clinical problems require specialized treatment that YAD-C is not prepared to offer.

Locations (1)

Rutgers University (Youth Anxiety and Depression Clinic)

Piscataway, New Jersey, United States