Recruiting

Racial Justice ActivismOur Voices Matter: Intervention for Depression in Youth

Sponsor:

Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Code:

NCT07216326

Conditions

Depressive Symptoms

Allostatic Load

Metabolic Syndrome

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 15 - 20

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Racial Justice Activism Intervention ARM

Adulting 101- Control Arm

Study Details

Brief summary:

Over 15 million people participated in racial justice protests nationwide during 2020-2021 spotlighting activism as a collective tool against structural racism and discrimination (SRD). SRD manifests as policies and practices (e.g., redlining, voter suppression, mass incarceration) that produce hostile environments that contribute to psychological distress, elevated allostatic load, and an elevated risk for chronic diseases and premature death, concentrated within Black and Latinx populations. While the connection between SRD and health is well documented, few studies provide evidence on strategies to reduce SRD and mitigate consequences on psychological and physiological outcomes. Thus, there is a critical need to rigorously test interventions that improve the mental and physical health of Black and Latinx populations, beginning in adolescence. The study's specific aims are to 1) Determine whether a racial justice activism behavioral intervention prevents and reduces depressive symptoms in Black and Latinx adolescents and young adults and 2) Determine whether a racial justice activism behavioral intervention lowers allostatic load scores in Black and Latinx adolescents and young adults. To accomplish these aims, the team will conduct a stage II group-based, multi-component, and multilevel randomized behavioral clinical trial. The investigators will collect psychological and physiological measures at baseline, then at defined intervals for 2 years post the racial justice activism intervention.

Conditions

Depressive Symptoms

Allostatic Load

Metabolic Syndrome

Study ID

NCT07216326

Start date

Jun 6, 2025

Status verified date

Jun, 2026

Completion date

Dec 29, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 1, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 15 - 20

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

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

Study Design

Enrollment

300 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: RJA Intervention Arm

The "Our Voices Matter" RJA intervention is a block-stratified randomized, group behavioral intervention designed for Black and Latinx adolescents and young adults (AYAs). The curriculum will specifically focus on the principles of education, organizing, policy development, and legal advocacy. Participants will have didactic sessions, which include policy debates, keynote lectures, seminars, and trainings led by local leaders, community activists, and other experts on civil rights. Participants will learn how to use data to understand how structural barriers influence life. Participants will understand and analyze policy and develop action plans to influence SRD. Additionally, the program will create a network of supportive peers. After the RJA training, small groups will meet monthly via videoconference for 1-year post-intervention. This intervention aims to equip Black and Latinx AYAs with civic and grassroots organizing knowledge and peer support.

placebo comparator: Adulting 101

Adulting 101: Life Skills attention control is a 5- day in-person program that will meet for the same number of sessions and duration as the intervention. This attention control is based on the "Project Life" program developed initially for individuals supporting youth transitioning out of foster care to teach life skills for independent living. This curriculum is delivered through didactic and interactive modules that provide knowledge and informational resources, along with hands-on activities and life skills demonstrations. Sessions include: 1) Community Building, 2) Career Preparation, 3) Education, 4) Money Management, 5) Health and Nutrition, 6) Home Management, and 7) Story Sharing.

Interventions

Racial Justice Activism Intervention ARM

The "Our Voices Matter" RJA intervention is a block-stratified randomized, group behavioral intervention designed for Black and Latinx adolescents and young adults (AYAs). The curriculum will specifically focus on the principles of activism, organizing, policy development, and legal advocacy. Participants will have didactic sessions, which include policy debates, keynote lectures, seminars, and trainings led by local leaders, community activists, and other experts on civil rights. Participants will learn how to use data to understand how structural racism and discrimination (SRD) influence life. Participants will understand and analyze policy and develop action plans to influence SRD. Additionally, the program will create a network of supportive peers. After the RJA training, small groups will meet monthly via videoconference for 1-year post-intervention. This intervention aims to equip Black and Latinx AYAs with civic and grassroots organizing knowledge and peer support.

Adulting 101- Control Arm

Adulting 101: Life Skills attention control is a 5- day in-person program (Figure 4) that will meet for the same number of sessions and duration as the intervention. This attention control is based on the "Project Life" program,84 developed initially for individuals supporting youth transitioning out of foster care to teach life skills for independent living. This curriculum is delivered through didactic and interactive modules that provide knowledge and informational resources, along with hands-on activities and life skills demonstrations. Sessions include: 1) Community Building, 2) Career Preparation, 3) Education, 4) Money Management, 5) Health and Nutrition, 6) Home Management, and 7) Story Sharing, which culminates with a Day of Action. Participants will learn skills for adulthood and gain experience developing career and education goals. Like the intervention condition, participants will actualize their skills on the final day, called the "Day of Action."

Primary outcome measure

Depressive Symptoms [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 0-1-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]
Metabolic Syndrome [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 6-, 12-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]
Blood Pressure [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 6-, 12-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]
Triglycerides [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 6-, 12-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]
High-density lipoprotein [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 6-, 12-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]
Glycosylated hemoglobin [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 6-, 12-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]
Glucose [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 6-, 12-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]
Insulin [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 6-, 12-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]
Waist Circumference [ Time Frame: at baseline and then 6-, 12-, and 24- months post initial 5 day-intervention ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Nia Heard-Garris, MD, MBA, MSc

3122272664 nheardgarris@luriechildrens.org

Akram Ibrahim, MS

312-227-6944 akibrahim@luriechildrens.org

Locations

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611

More Information

Sponsor

Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Last update posted

Jun 15, 2026

Last verified

Jun, 2026

Keywords

mental health
youth intervention
allostatic load
stress
depressive symptoms
depression
metabolic syndrome
prevention
inflammation

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago on 2026-06-15.