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DepressionBA-ANCT05018169

Behavioral Activation for Treatment of Depression in Adolescents With Autism

A study testing BA-A in people with Depression and Autism, run by University of Virginia at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

In this study, the investigators will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel, behavior-based approach for treatment of depression symptoms in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder or ASD (i.e., Behavioral Activation for Adolescents with ASD, BA-A). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 10 to 17 years
Conditions the study is for
Depression, Autism
What is being tested?
BA-A
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
18 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Aug 2021to 1 Aug 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 10 to 17 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Previous diagnosis of ASD by a qualified health care provider
  • Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition (CDI2) parent-report and/or self-report T- score ≥ 65
  • Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) Full Scale IQ, Two-Subtest Form (FSIQ-2) ≥ 85
  • Participation of a parent or legal guardian living in the same home who can read and write in English at or above the fifth grade level
  • Teens must have been on a stable dose of medications for mood, anxiety, or behavior for at least three months prior to enrollment and have no planned medication changes during study period
  • Not actively participating in another psychotherapy during study period

Who cannot join

  • High suicide risk
  • Physical aggression
  • Psychotic and/or manic symptoms

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Virginia

    Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Behavioral Activation for Treatment of Depression in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study

In this study, the investigators will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel, behavior-based approach for treatment of depression symptoms in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder or ASD (i.e., Behavioral Activation for Adolescents with ASD, BA-A).

Read the detailed description

In this study, the investigators will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel, behavior-based approach for treatment of depression symptoms in adolescents with ASD (i.e., Behavioral Activation for Adolescents with ASD, BA-A). BA-A is a 12-session manualized treatment that utilizes established behavioral activation strategies and incorporates common mental health treatment adaptations for young people with ASD. For this project, the investigators will pilot BA-A with 23 adolescents (12-17 years of age) with ASD and clinically significant depression symptoms. To investigate BA-A feasibility, the investigators will examine treatment session attendance and therapist treatment fidelity. To investigate BA-A acceptability, the investigators will utilize a mixed methods approach, inclusive of surveys and qualitative interviews, to inform BA-A protocol refinement. To investigate BA-A preliminary efficacy, the investigators will examine depression symptoms, as well as secondary outcome measures, at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and one-month follow-up.

Conditions
Depression, Autism
Being tested
BA-A
Medical subject headings
Depression, Autistic Disorder

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • BA-ABehavioural

    Session 1 focuses on the treatment rationale, structure, and expectations, and includes psychoeducation on depression. Session 2 focuses on working with parent(s) to help them support their teen through treatment. Session 3 focuses on the (situation)/behavior/feeling cycle and how teens individuals can get trapped in a cycle of depression and inactivity. Session 4 focuses on the assessment of values and choosing preferred activities to target. Session 5 focuses on teaching skills for in-person and electronic communication. Session 6 focuses on identifying barriers to treatment success. Session 7 focuses on teaching teens to handle disagreements. Session 8 focuses on the utilization of adaptive coping skills. Sessions 9-11 are meant to be used flexibly and should include review of any challenging concepts. Session 12 is the termination session and focuses on maintaining treatment gains. Between every session, teens will track their activity for homework.

Study groups in NCT05018169
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
BA-AExperimentalTeens will participate in BA-A. BA-A is a 12-session manualized treatment that utilizes established BA strategies and incorporates common mental health treatment adaptations for young people with ASD.
Receives: Behavioral: BA-A

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition, Parent Report

    Measured: Change from pre-treatment to post-treatment (i.e., within one week of finishing 12-week treatment) and one-month following treatment

  2. Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition, Self Report

    Measured: Change from pre-treatment to post-treatment (i.e., within one week of finishing 12-week treatment) and one-month following treatment

  3. Children's Depression Rating Scale, Revised

    Measured: Change from pre-treatment to post-treatment (i.e., within one week of finishing 12-week treatment) and one-month following treatment

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, Self Report

    Measured: Change from pre-treatment to post-treatment (i.e., within one week of finishing 12-week treatment) and one-month following treatment

  2. Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, Parent Report

    Measured: Change from pre-treatment to post-treatment (i.e., within one week of finishing 12-week treatment) and one-month following treatment

  3. Social Skills Improvement System, Parent Report

    Measured: Change from pre-treatment to post-treatment (i.e., within one week of finishing 12-week treatment) and one-month following treatment

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted24 Aug 2021
  2. Study start1 Aug 2021
  3. Primary completion1 Aug 2023
  4. Study completion1 Aug 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
18 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05018169
Sponsor's protocol ID
HSR200385
Acronym
BA-A
Status last verified
Nov 2023
First submitted
3 Aug 2021
Last updated
18 Nov 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing BA-A in people with Depression and Autism, run by University of Virginia at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Nov 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition, Parent Report (time frame: Change from pre-treatment to post-treatment (i.e., within one week of finishing 12-week treatment) and one-month following treatment). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Nov 2023.

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