Recruiting

Behavioral Activation

Sponsor:

Baylor College of Medicine

Code:

NCT06273995

Conditions

Depression

Suicide and Self-harm

Depression in Adolescence

Depression Mild

Depression Moderate

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 12 - 18

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Behavioral Activation

Study Details

Brief summary:

Behavioral activation is one such empirically supported intervention. Derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy, a well-established treatment for depression, behavioral activation uses psychoeducation and skill-building to increase an individual's engagement in valued and enjoyable activities (e.g., socializing with family and friends, exercising, participating in a hobby) in order to improve depressive symptoms. Research has shown that behavioral activation is an effective intervention for depressed youth. Additionally, it has been shown as a promising intervention that can be conducted in a brief, virtual format and can be effectively implemented by both trained clinicians and trained, non-licensed interventionists. This project will provide Behavioral Activation for youth (12-17) experiencing depression or suicidal ideation who are currently enrolled in the Youth Depression Suicide Network study in Texas.

Conditions

Depression

Suicide and Self-harm

Depression in Adolescence

Depression Mild

Depression Moderate

Study ID

NCT06273995

Start date

Mar 1, 2024

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Dec 1, 2029

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Mar 1, 2029

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 12 - 18

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Participants must be enrolled in the Texas Youth Depression Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN) Registry Study;
2. Be between the ages of 12- 18 or currently enrolled in high school;
3. Have a caregiver that is willing to participate in the program;
4. Be able to commit to weekly sessions for eight weeks;
5. Be currently experiencing depressive symptoms;
6. Be able to participate in telehealth services within the state of Texas;
7. Be willing to provide consent/assent (parents/legally authorized representative (LAR)/guardian or young adult participant, aged 18 or older, must be willing to provide consent; youth, aged 12-17, must be willing to provide assent);
8. Be able to read, write and speak English or Spanish sufficiently to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent to participate in the study;
9. Be willing to dedicate appropriate time to complete scheduled study assessment and measures and attend intervention sessions (both parent/LAR/guardian and youth)
10. Be able to provide a reliable means of contact.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Have an acute medical or psychological condition(s) that that would, in the judgment of the study medical clinician, make participation difficult or unsafe;
2. Have an acute medical or psychological condition(s) that would result in an inability to accurately complete study requirements (e.g., neurological conditions or significant neurodevelopmental concerns);
3. Have active psychotic or manic symptoms resulting in altered mental status and inability to provide assent or requiring immediate attention and/or higher level of intervention;
4. Have a parent/LAR/guardian who is deemed cognitively unable to provide consent (if youth participant, aged 12-17).

Study Design

Enrollment

250 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Behavioral Activation (BA)

Behavioral activation is one such empirically supported intervention. Derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy, a well-established treatment for depression, behavioral activation uses psychoeducation and skill-building to increase an individual's engagement in valued and enjoyable activities (e.g., socializing with family and friends, exercising, participating in a hobby) in order to improve depressive symptoms

Interventions

Behavioral Activation

All participants will undergo behavioral activation treatment for 8-10 weeks

Primary outcome measure

  • Patient Health Questionnaire 9-modified for adolescents (PHQ-A) [ Time Frame: During treatment (every session (week) 1-10) ]
  • Behavioral Activation for Depression-Short Form (BAD-SF) [ Time Frame: During treatment (every session (week) 1-10) ]
  • Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) [ Time Frame: Baseline (before treatment), post-treatment (session/week 11) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

Baylor College of Medicine

Recruiting

Houston, Texas, United States, 77030

Contacts

More Information

Sponsor

Baylor College of Medicine

Last update posted

Aug 4, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • behavioral activation
  • depression
  • adolescents

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Baylor College of Medicine on 2026-08-04.