An interventional study of Behavioral Activation in Depression, Suicide and Self-harm and Depression in Adolescence, sponsored by Baylor College of Medicine. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 12 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-04.
Sponsored by Baylor College of Medicine · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Behavioral activation is one such empirically supported intervention. Derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy, a well-established treatment for depression, behavioral activation uses psychoeducation and skill-building to increase an individual's engagement in valued and enjoyable activities (e.g., socializing with family and friends, exercising, participating in a hobby) in order to improve depressive symptoms. Research has shown that behavioral activation is an effective intervention for depressed youth. Additionally, it has been shown as a promising intervention that can be conducted in a brief, virtual format and can be effectively implemented by both trained clinicians and trained, non-licensed interventionists. This project will provide Behavioral Activation for youth (12-17) experiencing depression or suicidal ideation who are currently enrolled in the Youth Depression Suicide Network study in Texas.
Rates of youth depression and suicide are rising worldwide and present a critical public health problem. Between 2007 and 2018, rates of fatal suicide among U.S. youth and young adults increased by 57.4%, becoming the second leading cause of all deaths for Americans between the ages of 10 and 34 in 2020. Similarly, between 2009 and 2019, rates of past year major depressive episodes among adolescents in the United States increased from 8.1% to 15.8% (roughly 1 in 6). Despite these high rates of suicide and depression, Texas is rated 51st in access to mental healthcare in the United States. As untreated youth depression tends to persist and has been related to poorer functioning in adulthood, there is a need to increase access to empirically supported treatment for depressed adolescents.
Behavioral activation is one such empirically supported intervention. Derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy, a well-established treatment for depression, behavioral activation uses psychoeducation and skill-building to increase an individual's engagement in valued and enjoyable activities (e.g., socializing with family and friends, exercising, participating in a hobby) in order to improve depressive symptoms. Research has shown that behavioral activation is an effective intervention for depressed youth. Additionally, it has been shown as a promising intervention that can be conducted in a brief, virtual format and can be effectively implemented by both trained clinicians and trained, non-licensed interventionists.
8,577 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,720 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 250 is above the median of 81 across 7,063 interventional studies indexed under Depression.
Browse Depression studies →Baylor College of Medicine is the lead sponsor of 747 studies on the registry; 110 are open to participants now.
Of its 84 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 45 (54%) have results posted.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Behavioral activation is one such empirically supported intervention. Derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy, a well-established treatment for depression, behavioral activation uses psychoeducation and skill-building to increase an individual's engagement in valued and enjoyable activities (e.g., socializing with family and friends, exercising, participating in a hobby) in order to improve depressive symptoms
Other: Behavioral Activation
All participants will undergo behavioral activation treatment for 8-10 weeks
Patient Health Questionnaire 9-modified for adolescents (PHQ-A)
Depression; 4-point Likert scale (0= Not at all; 3= Nearly every day), Score range 0-27 (higher scores indicate greater depression severity)
Time frame: During treatment (every session (week) 1-10)
Behavioral Activation for Depression-Short Form (BAD-SF)
Behavioral Activation; 6-point Likert scale (0= Not al all; 6= Completely), Score range 0-54 (higher scores indicate higher activation)
Time frame: During treatment (every session (week) 1-10)
Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS)
Anhedonia; 5-point Likert scale (0= Not at all; 4= Very much), Score range 0- 68 (higher scores indicate less anhedonia)
Time frame: Baseline (before treatment), post-treatment (session/week 11)
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
Behavioral screening; 3-point Likert scale (0= Not at all; 2= Certainly True), Score range 0-40 (higher scores indicate more difficulties)
Time frame: Baseline (before treatment), post-treatment (session/week 11)
Duke Social Support Index (DSSI)
Social Support; Multiple Likert scales ((1 = None; 3= More than 2 people)(1= Hardly ever; 3= Most of the time)), Score range 10 -20 (higher scores indicate a higher level of social support)
Time frame: Baseline (before treatment), post-treatment (session/week 11)
Plan to share: Undecided
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