Metacognitive group therapy for autistic teens with anxiety and depression
A Metacognitive Group Therapy of Depression and Anxiety in Youth With Autism: Feasibility, Acceptability and Effect in a Clinical Open Trial
This project will try group metacognitive therapy to see if it helps 15–18-year-olds with autism who have anxiety and/or depression.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 36 (estimated) |
| Ages | 15 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Uppsala University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Haninge, Stockholm County) |
| Trial ID | NCT06441786 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This open pilot enrolls 15–18-year-olds with autism and anxiety and/or depression into six consecutive group cohorts of six participants each. Groups meet weekly with therapists trained in metacognitive therapy and selected metacognitive processes are monitored at each session. Clinical assessments occur pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at six-month follow-up, and feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention, compliance, treatment delivery issues, acceptability, and adverse effects. Preliminary symptom and process effects will be analyzed with paired-sample t-tests to inform feasibility and design of future controlled trials.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adolescents aged 15–18 with a clinical diagnosis of autism plus anxiety and/or depression who speak Swedish, are seeking care at PRIMA Child and Youth Psychiatry in Handen, and have stable medication and no concurrent psychological treatment are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Individuals with bipolar disorder, active substance use or psychosis, high suicide risk or extensive self-harm, those already in or about to start other psychological treatment, or those unable to attend in-person sessions at the study site are unlikely to benefit from or be eligible for this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce anxiety and depression symptoms and improve quality of life and daily functioning for autistic adolescents.
How similar studies have performed: Metacognitive therapy has shown promising results for anxiety and depression in adults but remains relatively untested in adolescents with autism, so this application is novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age of 15 to 18 years * Seeking medical care PRIMA psychiatric clinic for children and youth in Stockholm * Diagnoses of anxiety disorder or depression as well as autism established in a clinical interview * Mastering the Swedish language enough to take part of the treatment * Willingness/ability to participate after receiving information about what participation entails Exclusion Criteria: * Assessed to meet one of the following diagnoses: Bipolar syndrome, alcohol use syndrome, substance use syndromes, psychotic symptoms and affective syndromes with psychotic symptoms and antisocial personality disorder. * Assessed to have a high suicide risk. * Assessed to have extensive self-harm behavior or moderate to high risk of such. * Participating in other psychological treatment or about to start such treatment during the time interval of the study. * Has not had stable medication in the last month or is planning a deposit/medication adjustment during the time interval of the study.
Where this trial is running
Haninge, Stockholm County
- PRIMA Child and Youth Psychiatry, Handen — Haninge, Stockholm County, Sweden (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Timo Hursti, Ph.D. — Uppsala University
- Study coordinator: Timo Hursti, Ph.D.
- Email: timo.hursti@psyk.uu.se
- Phone: 46 184717842
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.