Our Voices Matter: racial-justice activism program to reduce depression in Black and Latinx youth
Our Voices Matter: Racial Justice Activism Intervention to Address Structural Racism and Prevent Depression in Black and Latinx Youth
This program tests whether participating in racial-justice activism can reduce depressive symptoms and stress-related physical risk in Black and Latinx youth ages 15-20.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 300 (estimated) |
| Ages | 15 Years to 20 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Trial ID | NCT07216326 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized, group-based behavioral trial will enroll 300 Black and Latinx participants aged 15–20 in Chicago and randomize 150 to a racial-justice activism intervention and 150 to an attention-control life skills program. Each arm includes five half-day in-person interactive sessions followed by virtual small peer groups to continue the activities, with the activism arm focused on grassroots organizing around structural racism and the control arm focused on life-skills training. Outcomes include self-reported depressive symptoms and measures of physiological stress such as allostatic load and metabolic risk indicators, collected at baseline and follow-up timepoints. Randomization is block-stratified to balance race, ethnicity, and gender.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are English-speaking Black or Latinx young people aged 15–20 who can attend the in-person half-day sessions in Chicago and are interested in activism or life-skills groups.
Not a fit: Those who are younger than 15 or older than 20, non–English speakers, unable to attend in-person sessions, do not identify as Black or Latinx, or who require intensive psychiatric care are unlikely to benefit from this community-based intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower depressive symptoms and reduce stress-related physiological risks among Black and Latinx adolescents.
How similar studies have performed: This approach is relatively novel for a randomized trial: observational work links youth activism with improved well-being, but randomized evidence testing activism to reduce depressive symptoms and physiological stress is limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. 15-20 years old 2. Identify as Black and/ or Latinx 3. Speak English Exclusion Criteria: 1. Younger than 15 years old, or older than 20 years old 2. Unable to attend the in-person sessions 3. Non-fluent English speaker 4. Do not identify as Black or Latinx
Where this trial is running
Chicago, Illinois
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago — Chicago, Illinois, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Elan C Hope, PhD — Policy Research Associates
- Study coordinator: Nia Heard-Garris, MD, MBA, MSc
- Email: nheardgarris@luriechildrens.org
- Phone: 3122272664
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.