Coping With Adolescent Peer Victimization and Reducing Anxious/Depressed Symptoms

Completed · Phase 2

Conditions studied: Depression, Social Anxiety

In brief

Among adolescents, SAD and depression are prevalent, highly comorbid, and can be chronic and impairing. Interpersonal peer victimization (IPV) is a key stressor that contributes to both social anxiety and depression in adolescents; it includes relational (e.g., social exclusion) and reputational (e.g., spreading rumors) forms of peer victimization. Currently, there are no preventive interventions for adolescent SAD. Also, effective preventive interventions for adolescents have not yet integrated a focus on both social anxiety and depression or targeted specific peer risk factors. Interventions for depression and for bullying have not addressed IPV, which is less observable than overt victimization (e.g., threats, physical acts). Thus, the Peers Emotions and Relationships (PEERS/UTalk) intervention, will take an integrated approach to reducing risk for SAD and depression by modifying and adapting an evidence-based intervention for depression, Interpersonal Psychotherapy- Adolescents Skills Training (IPT-AST), that focuses on improving interpersonal skills and managing conflict. We will add a) elements of anxiety-based treatments (e.g., exposures) and b) strategies for handling challenging peer experiences. PEERS/UTalk will have a positive focus and will target adolescents who report elevated symptoms of social anxiety and/or depression and high levels of IPV. Following are the aims and hypotheses of the Pilot-Randomized Controlled Trial: Aim: Evaluate PEERS/UTalk. We will screen adolescents and conduct a pilot randomized trial of PEERS (U Talk) versus an Education/Support (ES) condition with up to 60 "high-risk" adolescents. Hypothesis 1: Both PEERS/UTalk and ES conditions will demonstrate: (a) feasibility via rates of participation and study completion, (b) intervention credibility via adolescents' ratings of acceptability and satisfaction, and (c) high rates of clinician fidelity to the respective manuals. Hypothesis 2: Adolescents randomized to PEERS/UTalk will show improvements in primary outcomes (less IPV, fewer symptoms of social anxiety and depression, improved clinician ratings) relative to those in the ES condition. Hypothesis 3: The benefits of PEERS/UTalk over ES will be apparent on the secondary outcomes of increased quality of close friendships, increased peer support. Exploratory Aims: We will examine: (1) the durability and persistence of PEERS/UTalk intervention effects versus ES on primary outcomes at 6-month follow-up and (2) potential moderators of response to the PEERS/UTalk intervention, recognizing that there are power limitations in doing so.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT02011438
Run by: University of Miami
People needed: 49
Starts: 2012-06-01
Expected to finish: 2015-06-01
Last updated by the study team: 2015-12-17

Who can join

Age: 13 and older, up to 18. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Male and female adolescents, ages 13-18 years (inclusive) and in grades 9, 10, or 11.
Participants must be sufficiently fluent in English (by their own self-report) to complete measures and intervention programs in this language.
Participants must report elevated levels of relational PV and/or reputational PV on screening measures (R-PEQ); i.e., adolescents must obtain a total score > or = to 6 on the relational and/or reputational subscales of the R-PEQ.
Participants must report symptoms of social anxiety and/or depression that exceed clinical cutoffs on the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A > or = to 50) or the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D > or = to 16).

You may not qualify if…

Enrollment in special education services (e.g., for learning disabilities, mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorder).
Adolescents must not exceed clinical cutoffs (t score > 63) on the Aggression Subscale of the Youth Self Report (YSR).
Adolescents must not report elevated levels (score >6) on the overt peer victimization scale of the R-PEQ.
Adolescents must not currently meet diagnostic criteria for a social anxiety or depressive disorder as determined by the Anxiety Disorders Schedule for Children (ADIS-IV-C).
Adolescents must not currently meet criteria for PTSD, bipolar disorder, psychosis, or an eating, substance use, or conduct disorder on the ADIS-IV-C.
Adolescents must not endorse active suicidal items on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
Adolescents must not be currently receiving treatment for social anxiety or depressive disorder.

Where it is running

University of Miami — Coral Gables, Florida, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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