Behavioral Activation for Treatment of Depression in Autistic Adolescents With Below Average Intelligence
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age12-17
SponsorStony Brook University
About this trial
Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by differences in social communication/interaction and the presence of restricted/repetitive behaviors, with significant heterogeneity in terms of autistic features, language ability, and cognitive characteristics. About 2-3% of individuals in the United States are autistic, and most autistic individuals have co-occurring mental health conditions. Autistic people are 3-4 times more likely to experience depression than non-autistic people. Of the emerging depression treatment research with autistic people, none to date has focused on developing and testing a depression treatment for autistic youth with below average cognitive abilities - a group which comprises over 50% of the autistic community. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate the feasibility (Aim 1), acceptability (Aim 2), and preliminary treatment effects (Aim 3) of an extension of Behavioral Activation for Depression in Autistic Adolescents (BA-A), adapted to meet the needs of cognitively lower functioning autistic youth.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
12-17 years old
Autism diagnosis
Symptoms of depression (more specifically, Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition parent-report and/or self-report T-score ⩾ 65)
IQ 60-84
Disqualifiers
Participation in another psychotherapy during the study period
Imminent risk of harm to self and/or others
Bipolar disorder, a personality disorder, and/or schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder
Trial design
Design model
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
BA-A
BehavioralBA-A is an individually delivered manualized 12-session treatment that utilizes established behavioral strategies and incorporates common mental health treatment adaptations for autistic young people.
Treatment groups
18 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: BA-AExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Children's Depression Rating Scale, Revised
Time frame
Baseline, Post-Treatment (i.e., after completion of 12 weekly therapy sessions [typically 12-13 weeks after baseline]), 1-Month Follow-Up (1 month following completion of therapy sessions)2
Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition
Time frame
Baseline, Post-Treatment (i.e., after completion of 12 weekly therapy sessions [typically 12-13 weeks after baseline]), 1-Month Follow-Up (1 month following completion of therapy sessions)3
Aberrant Behavior Checklist
Time frame
Baseline, Post-Treatment (i.e., after completion of 12 weekly therapy sessions [typically 12-13 weeks after baseline]), 1-Month Follow-Up (1 month following completion of therapy sessions)4
Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale-Short Form
Time frame
Baseline, Post-Treatment (i.e., after completion of 12 weekly therapy sessions [typically 12-13 weeks after baseline]), 1-Month Follow-Up (1 month following completion of therapy sessions)Sponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov