Trial Outcomes & Findings for Effects of a Single-session Implicit Theories of Personality Intervention on Early Adolescent Psychopathology (NCT NCT03132298)

NCT ID: NCT03132298

Last Updated: 2019-02-07

Results Overview

the Children's Depression Inventory, a 27-item self-report questionnaire that measures cognitive, affective, and behavioral symptoms of depression. Items are scored from 0-2, and scores range from 0 to 44; higher scores indicate greater symptom severity. The CDI is reliable and valid. It can distinguish youths with more or less severe depressive symptoms, as well as youths at risk for depression from non-depressed youths. Suicide- and self-harm related questions were removed for the purposes of this study.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

96 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

Results posted on

2019-02-07

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Overall Study
STARTED
48
48
Overall Study
COMPLETED
36
35
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
12
13

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Effects of a Single-session Implicit Theories of Personality Intervention on Early Adolescent Psychopathology

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Total
n=96 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
48 Participants
n=5 Participants
48 Participants
n=7 Participants
96 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Age, Continuous
13.39 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.58 • n=5 Participants
13.26 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.06 • n=7 Participants
13.33 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.32 • n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
26 Participants
n=5 Participants
27 Participants
n=7 Participants
53 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
22 Participants
n=5 Participants
21 Participants
n=7 Participants
43 Participants
n=5 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
48 Participants
n=5 Participants
48 Participants
n=7 Participants
96 Participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

the Children's Depression Inventory, a 27-item self-report questionnaire that measures cognitive, affective, and behavioral symptoms of depression. Items are scored from 0-2, and scores range from 0 to 44; higher scores indicate greater symptom severity. The CDI is reliable and valid. It can distinguish youths with more or less severe depressive symptoms, as well as youths at risk for depression from non-depressed youths. Suicide- and self-harm related questions were removed for the purposes of this study.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Change in Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
Baseline CDI-C scores
12.35 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.05
11.76 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.07
Change in Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
3-month CDI-C scores
11.54 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.07
11.66 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.14
Change in Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
6-month CDI-C scores
10.85 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.16
12.74 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.21
Change in Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
9-month CDI-C scores
10.19 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.36
12.47 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.39

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

the Children's Depression Inventory, a 27-item self-report questionnaire that measures cognitive, affective, and behavioral symptoms of depression. Items are scored from 0-2, and scores range from 0 to 44; higher scores indicate greater symptom severity. The CDI and the parent analog (CDI-P) is reliable and valid. It can distinguish youths with more or less severe depressive symptoms, as well as youths at risk for depression from non-depressed youths. Suicide- and self-harm related questions were removed for the purposes of this study.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Change in Children's Depression Inventory - Parent (CDI-P) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
Baseline CDI-P scores
13.53 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.05
11.27 scores on a scale
Standard Error 0.96
Change in Children's Depression Inventory - Parent (CDI-P) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
3-month CDI-P scores
11.41 scores on a scale
Standard Error 0.97
10.19 scores on a scale
Standard Error 0.95
Change in Children's Depression Inventory - Parent (CDI-P) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
6-month CDI-P scores
10.61 scores on a scale
Standard Error 0.94
9.51 scores on a scale
Standard Error 0.94
Change in Children's Depression Inventory - Parent (CDI-P) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
9-month CDI-P scores
9.69 scores on a scale
Standard Error 0.87
10.84 scores on a scale
Standard Error 1.01

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

Anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline and at each follow-up point using the Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders - Child and Parent versions (SCARED-C/SCARED-P). The SCARED-C and SCARED-P are child and parent versions of the same 41-item questionnaire measure of pediatric anxiety. Both differentiate between clinically anxious and nonanxious psychiatrically ill youth. Youths/parents respond to items using a 3-point Likert scale describing the degree to which statements are true about them; scores range from 0 to 82. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the SCARED are strong (Hale, Raaijmakers, Muris, \& Meeus, 2005; Myers \& Winters, 2002). In this study, the SCARED-C/P Total Scores were used and derived by summing all 41 items, with higher scores reflecting higher levels of anxiety.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Change in Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders - Child (SCARED-C) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
Baseline SCARED-C scores
28.13 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.05
30.54 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.10
Change in Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders - Child (SCARED-C) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
3-month SCARED-C scores
24.43 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.21
30.47 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.34
Change in Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders - Child (SCARED-C) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
6-month SCARED-C scores
24.25 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.23
29.76 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.33
Change in Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders - Child (SCARED-C) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
9-month SCARED-C scores
23.12 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.43
30.44 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.49

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

Anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline and at each follow-up point using the Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders - Child and Parent versions (SCARED-C/SCARED-P). The SCARED-C and SCARED-P are child and parent versions of the same 41-item questionnaire measure of pediatric anxiety. Both differentiate between clinically anxious and nonanxious psychiatrically ill youth. Youths/parents respond to items using a 3-point Likert scale describing the degree to which statements are true about them; scores range from 0 to 82. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the SCARED are strong. In this study, the SCARED-C/P Total Scores were used and derived by summing all 41 items, with higher scores reflecting higher levels of anxiety.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Change in Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders - Parent (SCARED-P) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
9-month SCARED-P scores
18.07 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.74
20.99 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.93
Change in Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders - Parent (SCARED-P) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
Baseline SCARED-P scores
25.56 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.42
25.24 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.48
Change in Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders - Parent (SCARED-P) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
3-month SCARED-P scores
22.31 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.38
21.65 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.74
Change in Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders - Parent (SCARED-P) From Baseline to 9-month Follow-up
6-month SCARED-P scores
16.65 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.27
18.23 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.70

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

The PCSC is a 24-item scale measuring perceived ability to exert primary control: to influence or alter objective events or conditions through personal effort. Participants rated agreement with statements about their ability to exert primary control, with half the items worded in a positive direction (e.g., "I can do well on tests if I study hard.") and half in a negative direction (e.g., "I cannot get other kids to like me no matter how hard I try."). Responses range from "very true" to "very false" on a four-point Likert scale. Scores range from 0 to 72, with higher scores indicating higher (more adaptive) levels of perceived primary control.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Primary Control Scale for Children (PCSC)
Baseline PCSC
55.60 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.43
56.17 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.46
Primary Control Scale for Children (PCSC)
Immediate Post-Intervention PCSC
59.17 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.40
56.07 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.42
Primary Control Scale for Children (PCSC)
3-month PCSC
59.49 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.42
55.89 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.58
Primary Control Scale for Children (PCSC)
6-month PCSC
57.50 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.59
56.56 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.69
Primary Control Scale for Children (PCSC)
9-month PCSC
58.81 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.64
55.04 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.65

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

The SCSC is a 20-item scale measuring perceived ability to exert secondary control: to influence the personal psychological impact of objective conditions on oneself, by adjusting oneself to fit those conditions. Item content reflects response patterns associated with various kinds of secondary control, such as finding a silver lining ("I can usually find something good to like, even in a bad situation.") and adjusting cognition ("When something bad happens, I can find a way to think about it that makes me feel better."). Respondents rate agreement with each item on a 4-point Likert scale from "very false" to "very true." Scores range from 0-60, with higher scores corresponding to higher (more adaptive) levels of perceived secondary control.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Secondary Control Scale for Children (SCSC)
Baseline SCSC
33.25 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.72
33.32 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.75
Secondary Control Scale for Children (SCSC)
Immediate Post-Intervention SCSC
36.56 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.62
34.09 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.42
Secondary Control Scale for Children (SCSC)
3-month SCSC
36.99 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.71
32.91 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.83
Secondary Control Scale for Children (SCSC)
6-month SCSC
34.59 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.79
33.14 score on a scale
Standard Error 1.86
Secondary Control Scale for Children (SCSC)
9-month SCSC
34.41 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.05
31.37 score on a scale
Standard Error 2.09

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at immediate post-intervention only

EDA was assessed continuously during the laboratory baseline (5 min prior to the social stress induction), social stress induction, and recovery period (5 min following the social stress induction) using Biopac MP150 hardware at a sampling rate of 1000 readings persecond and a 0.5e1 Hz bandpass filter. EDA was measured with a Biopac GSR100C amplifier and two EDA isotonic gel electrodes placed on the thenar and hypothenar eminences of the child's nondominant hand. EDA data were acquired and analyzed using AcqKnowledge 4.1 Software. Research assistants trained by the first author manually identified and removed artifacts. Averages (expressed in micro-Siemens) for EDA during the baseline, speech preparation, speech, and recovery periods were calculated for each participant. Slopes of EDA change during the recovery were calculated, expressed in microSiemens per second.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=44 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=43 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Electrodermal Activity (EDA) Recovery Slope
-.00082 microsiemens/second
Standard Deviation 0.011
-.00024 microsiemens/second
Standard Deviation 0.013

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Assessed at immediate post-intervention only

HRV was assessed; specifically, the time-based root-mean square successive difference of normal-to-normal (N-to-N) intervals (rMSSD). RMSSD equates to mean shifts in the time elapsed between consecutive heartbeats, in milliseconds. It reflects parasympathetically mediated, short-term changes in HRV. More rapid post-stressor increases in rMSSD (during the 5-min post stressor recovery period) indicated a more adaptive recovery trajectory following stress. Here, rMSSD was computed using the Acqknowledge automated time-series HRV analysis function.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=36 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=40 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Recovery Slope
.008 msec
Standard Deviation .034
-.007 msec
Standard Deviation .040

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

Parental depressive symptoms were measured at baseline at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up assessments using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). The BDI is one of the most widely used and evaluated self- report measures of adult depressive symptoms. For each of its 21 items, respondents select among four alternative responses reflecting the increasing levels of symptom severity (0 = no symptom present to 3 = severe symptom present). The total score was used in this study, with a possible score range of 0 to 63 at each assessment point. Higher scores indicate higher levels of depressive symptoms.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Beck Depression Inventory
BDI 9-month
6.74 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.48
7.44 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.82
Beck Depression Inventory
BDI baseline
7.92 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 8.19
6.91 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.26
Beck Depression Inventory
BDI 3-month
8.61 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 9.66
10.89 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 10.75
Beck Depression Inventory
BDI 6-month
7.54 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 7.38
7.80 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 9.00

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

Parental anxiety symptoms were measured at baseline at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up assessments using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; Beck \& Steer, 1993), a widely-used self-report measure of anxiety in adults for use in clinical, community, and research settings. Respondents report the extent to which they have been bothered by each of 21 symptoms over the preceding week. Each item has four possible answer choices: Not at All; Mildly; Moderately, and Severely. Because the BAI's 21 items (each rated 0 to 3, for a total possible scores ranging from 0 to 63 - higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety) describe the emotional, physiological, and cognitive symptoms of anxiety but not depression, it can discriminate anxiety from depression in adults.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Beck Anxiety Inventory
BAI 9 month
6.23 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.41
5.47 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.75
Beck Anxiety Inventory
BAI Baseline
8.60 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 9.20
6.57 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 7.20
Beck Anxiety Inventory
BAI 3 month
11.48 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 9.89
9.58 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 13.51
Beck Anxiety Inventory
BAI 6 month
5.51 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.64
3.68 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.92

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-month (final) follow-up

The BFAM is a 14-item parent report questionnaire assessing perceptions of family functioning during the previous 2 weeks. This instrument was created to provide an operational definition and means of measuring the seven constructs in the Process Model of Family Functioning; it includes two items relating to each construct. Items such as "We take the time to listen to each other" and "When things aren't going well it takes too long to work them out" are scored on a 5-point scale. Items are summed to create a total score (range: 0-70), with higher scores indicating greater familial dysfunction.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Brief Family Assessment Measure
BFAM baseline
10.60 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.89
11.48 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.95
Brief Family Assessment Measure
BFAM 3 months
10.88 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.11
12.86 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.66
Brief Family Assessment Measure
BFAM 6 months
11.38 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.30
13.00 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.84
Brief Family Assessment Measure
BFAM 9 months
10.29 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.31
12.44 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.94

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up

The Implicit Personality Theory Questionnaire asks participants to indicate on a 1 (really disagree) to 6 (really agree) scale the extent to which they endorse three statements: "You have a certain personality, and it is something that you can't do much about"; "Your personality is something about you that you can't change very much"; and "Either you have a good personality or you don't, and there is really very little you can do about it." Numerical scores are summed to yield a single, total implicit theory of personality score (score range=0-18); higher scores indicate a stronger entity theory of personality, and lower scores indicate stronger incremental theories of personality.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Implicit Theories of Personality Program
n=48 Participants
This program is self-administered, computer-based, and 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to maximize relevance for youths with internalizing distress. The program includes 5 elements: 1. An introduction the concept of neuroplasticity; 2. Testimonials from older youths describing beliefs that people's traits are malleable, given the brain's capacity for change; 3. Further vignettes by older youths describing times when they used "growth mindsets" to cope with peer rejection, hopelessness, and feared embarrassment; 4. A worksheet describing strategies for applying these principles to participants' lives; 5. An exercise wherein participants write notes to younger children, using newly-gleaned information about the malleability of personal traits to help them to cope with setbacks.
Control Program
n=48 Participants
The Control Program is a computer-based session of supportive therapy (ST), designed to encourage youths to identify and express feelings. ST does not teach specific skills or beliefs and has been shown to be less effective than cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing youth internalizing distress. Here, ST was designed to control for nonspecific intervention elements (eg. completing an interactive computer program) and to encourage youths to share emotions with others. ST included the same number of reading/writing activities as the experimental program and took the same amount of time (30 mins.) to complete.
Implicit Personality Theory Questionnaire
Implicit Theories post intervention
6.77 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.83
8.69 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.25
Implicit Personality Theory Questionnaire
Implicit Theories basline
10.98 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.15
9.93 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.02
Implicit Personality Theory Questionnaire
Implicit Theories 3 month follow-up
9.72 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.36
9.91 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.16
Implicit Personality Theory Questionnaire
Implicit Theories 6 month follow-up
8.75 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.93
10.06 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.51
Implicit Personality Theory Questionnaire
Implicit Theories 9 month follow-up
9.23 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.55
10.28 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.78

Adverse Events

Implicit Theories of Personality Program

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Control Program

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Jessica Schleider

Stony Brook University

Phone: 631-632-4131

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place