Brief interpersonal therapy to improve mood in teens in primary care

The iMATTER Project: Preventing Adolescent Depression in Pediatric Primary Care

This pilot tests a short interpersonal therapy program (B-IPT-AST) in primary care to see if it helps teens ages 13–17 with mild depressive symptoms feel better and find the program acceptable.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 45 (estimated)
• Ages: 13 Years to 17 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Trial ID: NCT07020572 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Adolescent depression is common and many prevention programs are time- and resource-intensive, limiting use in routine care. This pilot adapts an evidence-based prevention approach (IPT-AST) into a brief, scalable format (B-IPT-AST) designed for delivery in primary care. Adolescents aged 13–17 who screen with subthreshold depression (PHQ-9-M score 5–10) at a well visit will be randomized 2:1 to B-IPT-AST delivered by the research team or to services as usual. Standardized measures of mood, anxiety, and interpersonal functioning plus acceptability surveys and qualitative interviews will be used to examine feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adolescents ages 13–17 who speak English, have guardian consent, score 5–10 on the PHQ-9-M at a primary care well visit, and have access to a phone or computer are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Teens with active suicidal ideation or more severe depression, non-English speakers, or those requiring intensive psychiatric treatment are unlikely to benefit from this brief preventive program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a brief, clinic-friendly option to reduce depressive symptoms and prevent worsening among at-risk teens in primary care.

How similar studies have performed: Full-length IPT-AST has demonstrated preventive benefits in prior research, but the brief, primary-care adapted B-IPT-AST is a novel adaptation being piloted and is less tested.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

For Adolescent Participants

1. Adolescents ages 13 to 17 years.
2. Adolescents must be English-speaking.
3. Legal guardian permission (informed consent) and child consent/assent.
4. A score of 5-10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-Item: Modified for Teens (PHQ-9-M) at the primary care well-visit.
5. Access to a phone, computer, or other electronic device that could be used for study activities

For Legal guardian Participants

1. Legal guardian of an adolescents ages 13 to 17 years who scored 5-10 on the PHQ-9-M at the primary care well-visit.
2. Consent to participate.
3. English-speaking.
4. Access to a phone, computer, and/or tablet to complete remote evaluations.

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria will be determined based on electronic health record (EHR) review, eligibility screening questions, the baseline evaluation, and any other interactions with the family.

1. Suicidal ideation or behaviors reported on the PHQ-9-M at their well-visit (score of 1 or higher on item 9 "In the past week, have you had thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way?" and/or yes to either of the supplemental questions which ask, "Has there been a time in the past month when you have had serious thoughts about ending your life?" and "Have you ever, in your whole life, tried to kill yourself or made a suicide attempt?") based on medical record review. For the PHQ-9-M administered at baseline, adolescents who mark yes to the supplemental item about serious suicidal ideation in the past month ("Has there been a time in the past month when you have had serious thoughts about ending your life?") will be excluded.
2. Major medical illness, significant behavioral problems or intellectual or developmental disabilities that may interfere with the completion of all study procedures.
3. Youth may be excluded on a case-by-case basis if the EHR review, eligibility screener, baseline evaluation, or other interactions with the family suggests that the group program would not be appropriate.

Where this trial is running

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Molly F Davis, PhD — Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
• Study coordinator: Molly F Davis, PhD

Conditions: Depressive Symptoms