Optimizing youth mental health trajectories

Behavioural Development, Long-term Outcomes and Opportunities to Optimize Youth Mental Health Trajectories

Observational Douglas Mental Health University Institute · NCT06978452

This study is trying to understand how mental health changes in young people aged 9 to 25 over five years to see if we can help prevent problems like depression and ADHD.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment560 (estimated)
Ages9 Years to 25 Years
SexAll
SponsorDouglas Mental Health University Institute Academic / other
Locations1 site (Montreal, Quebec)
Trial IDNCT06978452 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

The BLOOM project aims to create personalized longitudinal profiles of mental health in youth aged 9 to 25 by following them annually for five years. It focuses on identifying antecedents and outcomes related to mental health disorders, including depression and ADHD, to predict clinical outcomes and optimize health trajectories. Participants will be recruited from various sources, including those with and without existing mental health diagnoses, to assess their needs and eligibility for preventive interventions. The study employs an accelerated longitudinal design to efficiently cover a long developmental period within a short timeframe.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are youth aged 9 to 25 who can read and understand French or English and have a parent or guardian available for consent if under 18.

Not a fit: Patients who are outside the age range of 9 to 25 or do not have any mental health concerns or relevant family history may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to improved prediction and prevention of mental health disorders in youth.

How similar studies have performed: While similar studies have explored youth mental health trajectories, this approach of integrating both help-seeking and non-help-seeking populations for predictive modeling is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

Youth between 9 to 25 years of age at inclusion, who are able to read and understand either French or English, with at least one parent or legal guardian available to consent for those under 18 years of age.

Specific eligibility criteria:

Help-seeking group: At least one help-seeking contact made with a primary care clinical service provider or agency (e.g, paediatric/family physician clinic, CLSC or Aire Ouverte) for a mental health concern (i.e., clinical needs).

Non help-seeking group:

At least one of the birth parents or siblings have received psychiatric care for a diagnosis of DMDs (i.e., family needs) OR Being in contact with community agencies that provide youth-centred social services for food, housing, social discrimination (e.g., racialized youth, LGBTQ2SIA+) (i.e., social needs) OR Having a diagnosed chronic physical illness that is expected to require treatment for \>12 months (e.g., diabetes, asthma to name a few) (i.e., physical health needs)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Due to the requirements of assessment procedures, youth who cannot communicate verbally due to known neurological conditions or intellectual disabilities will not be included. Youth who are already diagnosed with one of the DMDs by a physician and currently prescribed a treatment targeting the diagnosed condition (pharmacological or psychotherapeutic interventions), will not be eligible for inclusion.

Importantly, no one will be excluded based on sex, gender, health insurance status, ethnicity, income status, ability to travel or living arrangements. If a participant initially approached through the referral pathways for non help-seeking individuals turns out to have had at least one help-seeking contact for a mental health concern (i.e., clinical needs), the participant will still be included but classified as part of the help-seeking group. We anticipate non help-seeking referrals to satisfy more than one criteria. Their occurrence and distribution will be recorded in detail as part of our assessment procedure.

Where this trial is running

Montreal, Quebec

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Depression - Major Depressive DisorderBipolarPsychosisEating Disorder NOSADHDSubstance Use DisorderOCDantecedents
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.