Strong Connections

The purpose of this study is to compare two talking forms of therapy designed to help reduce depressive symptoms in teenagers: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents and Treatment as Usual.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) is a manualized short-term therapeutic intervention that has been shown to be efficacious in a number of randomized control trials for adolescent depression. The primary aim of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) into routine psychotherapeutic treatment at Strong Behavioral Health: Child and Adolescent Outpatient. The second aim of the present investigation is to examine changes in adolescent symptomatology, interpersonal functioning, perceived stress, and social support throughout the course of treatment. The third aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of IPT-A versus treatment as usual (TAU) at reducing depressive symptoms among adolescents.

All adolescents who present at Child and Adolescent Outpatient Service (CAOS) for a diagnostic intake evaluation and who report any symptoms of depression.

All adolescents who present at Child and Adolescent Outpatient Service (CAOS) for a diagnostic intake evaluation and who report any symptoms of depression.

Experimental: Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) IPT-A is a manualized intervention for depression that targets adolescents' interpersonal context and social supports as mechanisms of change. It will be provided in accordance with the treatment manual by Child and Adolescent Outpatient Service clinicians over the course of 12-16 50-minute sessions.

Treatment as usual will consist of the standard care for adolescent depressive symptoms at CAOS. TAU is not manualized; it is consistent with care typically provided in community settings. Therapists establish a working alliance, are empathetic, reflect expressed affect, and discuss options for coping with concerns as initiated by the adolescent.

Adolescents' depressive symptomatology will be measured using adolescent-report of the Beck Depression Inventory-Youth. It is a 20-item scale ranging from 0 to 100 with higher scores indicating worse health outcomes.

Adolescents' depressive symptomatology will be measured using adolescent-report of the Beck Depression Inventory-Youth. It is a 20-item scale ranging from 0 to 100 with higher scores indicating worse health outcomes.

The Beck Suicide Scale will be used to measure suicide ideation. It is a 21-item scale ranging from 0-2 with higher scores higher levels of suicide ideation.

The Beck Suicide Scale will be used to measure suicide ideation. It is a 21-item scale ranging from 0-2 with higher scores higher levels of suicide ideation.

The Perceived Stress Scale will be used to measure perceived stress. It is a 14-item scale ranging from 0-4 with higher scores higher levels of stress.

The Perceived Stress Scale will be used to measure perceived stress. It is a 14-item scale ranging from 0-4 with higher scores higher levels of stress.

The Social Adjustment Scale-SR will be used to measure social adjustment. It is a 23-item scale ranging from 0-5 with higher scores higher levels of social adjustment.

The Social Adjustment Scale-SR will be used to measure social adjustment. It is a 23-item scale ranging from 0-5 with higher scores higher levels of social adjustment.

The Social Support Behaviors Scale will be used to measure social support. There are two domains, one for family and one for friends. It is a 45-item scale ranging from 0-5 with higher scores indicating higher levels of social support.

The Social Support Behaviors Scale will be used to measure social support. There are two domains, one for family and one for friends. It is a 45-item scale ranging from 0-5 with higher scores indicating higher levels of social support.

Inclusion Criteria: age 12-18 scoring in the clinically elevated range for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth Exclusion Criteria: currently psychotic do not speak English currently participating in another form of mental health treatment considered to need inpatient hospitalization IQ less than 70