Get ActivE Study for At-risk Youth

NCT ID: NCT06829953

Last Updated: 2025-04-06

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

75 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-03-27

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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The study will adapt and deploy a digital Behavioral Activation app with mobile sensing, supported by health coaches, that encourages youth to engage in positive activities. The study has the potential to offer a low-cost and scalable behavioral intervention that may decrease risk of suicide among at-risk youth. This research will examine specifically whether an intervention involving an app called Vira, combined with health coaching (GET ActivE) can improve enjoyment for teens coping with depression. Research participants will be randomly assigned to one of two study intervention. One study intervention involves a) downloading an app called Vira and engaging by responding to a daily question, and b) participating in a conversation via text, phone, or messages through an appt with a health coach. The health coach will use the Vira app and principles from evidence-based therapy and behavior change to provide users with insights to sustain well-being and better manage risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors such as depressed mood and behavioral withdrawal. The second study intervention involves downloading an app called EARS and responding to a daily question.

Detailed Description

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Aim 3 (Randomized Pilot): To examine implementation outcomes, initial effectiveness, and equity across outcomes in a pilot randomized trial (n=75, 2:1 randomization, 35% Black, 10% Hispanic) of GET ActivE vs. Activity Monitoring Alone. H3a. The study will observe high GET ActivE feasibility (50% of eligible youth approached will enroll; completion \>50%; attrition \<20%; response to health coach contacts \>80%); acceptability (\>80%); and appropriateness (\>80%). H3b. Youth who receive GET ActivE will show greater improvement in anhedonia (primary outcome) and H3c. depression severity and suicidal risk (secondary outcomes). H3d. Outcomes will be equitable by race. H3e. Exploratory (mechanistic): GET ActivE will lead to decreased depression and suicidal risk through increased activity and reward responsiveness.

Conditions

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Anhedonia Depression and Suicide Ideation

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Examination of implementation outcomes, target engagement, and preliminary effectiveness of GET ActivE via a randomized trial with 75 adolescents (age 12-18, 35% Black, 10% Hispanic) at risk for suicide (moderate-severe depression) and with difficulties with anhedonic symptoms identified in primary care.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors
The outcomes assessor will be blinded to the randomized treatment arm

Study Groups

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Activity Monitoring Alone

Participants who are eligible for the GET Active Study and are randomly assigned to Treatment As Usual will be asked to download a mobile sensing activity monitoring app called the Effortless Assessment of Risk States (EARS) app which will derive activity data. The activity data will be collated to yield weekly summary measures that will be sent via short messaging services (SMS) text messaging to participants randomized to the control condition for viewing.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Treatment As Usual

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants randomized to Treatment As Usual may have access to activity data from an app and receive summary information about activity patterns at the end of their participation.

GET ActivE

GET ActivE intervention uses the Vira mobile application and a health coach, integrating mobile sensing, self-report assessment, and just-in-time nudges and notifications from a health coach to increase patient activity and promote positive mood cycles. A health coach reinforces Behavioral Activation (BA) principles and encourages engagement with activities by composing and triggering appropriate intervention nudges and messages (by text, phone call, video call, chat, email, etc.) specific to activity patterns and mood ratings highlighted on the Vira app. The health coach reviews the patient's data from the Vira practitioner dashboard and will follow up with patients at least weekly (and caregivers periodically) to reinforce behaviors that are consistent with BA and personally relevant based on the participant's own mobile sensing data and mood ratings.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

GET ActivE

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The GET ActivE health coach will review data from the Vira app and send nudges to the participant with insights encouraging them to engage in activities that bring enjoyment or pleasure.

Interventions

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GET ActivE

The GET ActivE health coach will review data from the Vira app and send nudges to the participant with insights encouraging them to engage in activities that bring enjoyment or pleasure.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Treatment As Usual

Participants randomized to Treatment As Usual may have access to activity data from an app and receive summary information about activity patterns at the end of their participation.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adolescents age 12-18
* Current moderate to severe depression (PHQ-9-M \> 11)
* Current clinically significant anhedonia, operationalized as PHQ-9-M anhedonia item score \> 1
* English language fluency and literacy level sufficient to engage in study protocol
* Willing to download the app on their smart phones

Exclusion Criteria

* Evidence of mania, psychosis, or developmental disability precluding comprehension of study procedures per electronic health record review and phone screen.
Minimum Eligible Age

12 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Oregon

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Columbia University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Pittsburgh

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Jamie Zelazny

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jamie Zelazny, PhD, MPH, RN

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pittsburgh

Locations

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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Brandie George-Milford, MA

Role: CONTACT

412-246-5629

Morgan Rose, BS

Role: CONTACT

978-799-9419

Facility Contacts

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Jami Young, PhD

Role: primary

267-425-1328

Rhonda Boyd, PhD

Role: backup

215-590-7555

Jamie Zelazny, PhD

Role: primary

412-624-9647

Brandie George-Milford, MA

Role: backup

412-246-5629

Other Identifiers

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P50MH115838

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

STUDY22040034

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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