Engaging Black Youth in Depression and Suicide Prevention Treatment Within Urban Schools

NCT ID: NCT03940508

Last Updated: 2025-09-15

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

29 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-01-31

Study Completion Date

2023-12-31

Brief Summary

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Completing evidence-based treatments for depression has been shown to be particularly problematic for Black adolescents. If Black adolescents' depression treatment needs are to be met, the engagement challenges and the factors that lessen the success of treatment in the "real world" must be addressed. The investigators will examine the effectiveness of the Making Connections Intervention (MCI) and investigate key mediators of both engagement and response to treatment for depression. The MCI is a 1-2 session, evidence-based intervention designed to improve engagement, perceived relevance, and treatment satisfaction among depressed, Black adolescents. The study also uses tailored outreach strategies for adolescents and parents by including innovative digital content such as a web page/app along with other digital products.

This study will address an important public health issue: How best to connect Black adolescents with depression to treatment in clinically meaningful ways, and how best to deliver evidence-based treatment to them through school-based services.

Detailed Description

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Completing evidence-based treatments for depression has been shown to be particularly problematic for Black adolescents. Their rates of participation in treatments for depression are lower due to negative perceptions of services and providers, and their reluctance to acknowledge the presence of symptoms.

If Black adolescents' depression treatment needs are to be met, the engagement challenges and the factors that lessen the success of treatment in the "real world" must be addressed. This research examines the effectiveness of the Making Connections Intervention (MCI) and investigates key mediators of both engagement and response to treatment for depression. The MCI is a 1-2 session, evidence-based intervention designed to improve engagement, perceived relevance, and treatment satisfaction among depressed, Black adolescents. The study also uses tailored outreach strategies for adolescents and parents by including innovative digital content such as a web page/app along with other digital products.

The investigators previously performed a small pilot study that used the MCI as an add-on to the IPT-A, an evidence-based intervention for depression delivered in schools typically over 12 sessions. The results suggested that MCI has a positive impact on many aspects of change associated with treatment engagement and clinical outcomes.

This study will be a randomized controlled trial. It will examine the effectiveness of the MCI in a multi-school trial involving adolescents in grades 6-12 who attend New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) Public Schools. The investigators will randomly assign 60 Black students with depression symptoms to two conditions: MCI+IPT-A vs. IPT-A-alone. The investigators will also do qualitative research, like interviews, before the digital content is created. This will enhance the relevance of the MCI. The main outcomes are adolescent-and caregiver-level engagement and adolescent depression. Suicidal ideation is a secondary outcome. This study will also test related factors, like adolescent helping-seeking behavior and parental knowledge of mental health services, that can account for treatment outcomes and that will allow the MCI to be strengthened in future roll-outs of the intervention in school settings.

Conditions

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Depression Suicidal Ideation

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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MCI + IPT-A

Participants will receive the Making Connections Intervention (MCI) in addition to IPT-A for depression.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Making Connections Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The MCI is a one to two session intervention that addresses barriers to mental health treatment and helps adolescents build skills to get the most out of their treatment experience. It is designed to be delivered by a trained clinician in conjunction with an evidence-based treatment.

IPT-A

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

IPT-A is a time-limited, manualized treatment for depression focused on maladaptive communication patterns and interpersonal interactions.

IPT-A Only

Participants will receive IPT-A for depression.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

IPT-A

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

IPT-A is a time-limited, manualized treatment for depression focused on maladaptive communication patterns and interpersonal interactions.

Interventions

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Making Connections Intervention

The MCI is a one to two session intervention that addresses barriers to mental health treatment and helps adolescents build skills to get the most out of their treatment experience. It is designed to be delivered by a trained clinician in conjunction with an evidence-based treatment.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

IPT-A

IPT-A is a time-limited, manualized treatment for depression focused on maladaptive communication patterns and interpersonal interactions.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Must identify as Black and/or African American
2. Must be enrolled in grades 6-12 (except 12th graders in their last semester)
3. Must be able to speak English
4. Must have received caregiver consent and have assented to participate
5. Must meet depression and global functioning levels indicated by a CES-D score ≥16, a Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression (HRSD) Score ≥ 10, and a Global Assessment Scale for Children (C-GAS) score ≤ 65 at baseline

Exclusion Criteria

1. Actively suicidal with intent or plan
2. Intellectually disabled
3. Have a life threatening medical illness
4. Have a current primary substance abuse diagnosis in the moderate to severe range, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, any evidence of psychosis, a primary diagnosis of anorexia
5. Currently in active treatment for depression (excluding medication) at baseline assessment
Minimum Eligible Age

12 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

20 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Columbia University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

New York University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Michael A Lindsey, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

NYU Silver School of Social Work

Locations

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Columbia University

New York, New York, United States

Site Status

McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research

New York, New York, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Gunlicks-Stoessel M, Mufson L, Jekal A, Turner JB. The impact of perceived interpersonal functioning on treatment for adolescent depression: IPT-A versus treatment as usual in school-based health clinics. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2010 Apr;78(2):260-7. doi: 10.1037/a0018935.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20350036 (View on PubMed)

Mufson L, Moreau D, Weissman MM, Wickramaratne P, Martin J, Samoilov A. Modification of interpersonal psychotherapy with depressed adolescents (IPT-A): phase I and II studies. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1994 Jun;33(5):695-705. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199406000-00011.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8056733 (View on PubMed)

Mufson LH, Dorta KP, Olfson M, Weissman MM, Hoagwood K. Effectiveness research: transporting interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A) from the lab to school-based health clinics. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2004 Dec;7(4):251-61. doi: 10.1007/s10567-004-6089-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15648279 (View on PubMed)

Lindsey MA, Chambers K, Pohle C, Beall P, Lucksted A. Understanding the Behavioral Determinants of Mental Health Service Use by Urban, Under-Resourced Black Youth: Adolescent and Caregiver Perspectives. J Child Fam Stud. 2013 Jan 1;22(1):107-121. doi: 10.1007/s10826-012-9668-z. Epub 2012 Oct 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23355768 (View on PubMed)

Lindsey MA, Joe S, Nebbitt V. Family Matters: The Role of Mental Health Stigma and Social Support on Depressive Symptoms and Subsequent Help Seeking Among African American Boys. J Black Psychol. 2010 Nov 1;36(4):458-482. doi: 10.1177/0095798409355796.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20953336 (View on PubMed)

Breland-Noble AM, Bell CC, Burriss A; AAKOMA Project Adult Advisory Board. "Mama just won't accept this": adult perspectives on engaging depressed African American teens in clinical research and treatment. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2011 Sep;18(3):225-34. doi: 10.1007/s10880-011-9235-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21512751 (View on PubMed)

Lindsey MA, Korr WS, Broitman M, Bone L, Green A, Leaf PJ. Help-seeking behaviors and depression among African American adolescent boys. Soc Work. 2006 Jan;51(1):49-58. doi: 10.1093/sw/51.1.49.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16512510 (View on PubMed)

Lindsey MA, Brown DR, Cunningham M. Boys do(n't) cry: Addressing the unmet mental health needs of African American boys. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2017;87(4):377-383. doi: 10.1037/ort0000198.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28691838 (View on PubMed)

Ellis ML, Lindsey MA, Barker ED, Boxmeyer CL, Lochman JE. Predictors of engagement in a school-based family preventive intervention for youth experiencing behavioral difficulties. Prev Sci. 2013 Oct;14(5):457-67. doi: 10.1007/s11121-012-0319-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23420474 (View on PubMed)

Lindsey MA, Mufson L, Velez-Grau C, Grogan T, Wilson DM, Reliford AO, Gunlicks-Stoessel M, Jaccard J. Engaging Black youth in depression and suicide prevention treatment within urban schools: study protocol for a randomized controlled pilot. Trials. 2024 Feb 9;25(1):112. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-07947-8.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38336803 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Related Links

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https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/694791#

Lu W, Lindsey M, Irsheid S, Nebbitt V. Psychometric properties of the center for epidemiological studies-depression Scale (CES-D) among Black adolescents. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. 2017.

Other Identifiers

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1R34MH119290-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

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1R34MH119290-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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