Telehealth-delivered depression prevention: Short-term outcomes from a school-based randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Adolescent mental health
• Telehealth interventions
• Depression and anxiety research

Background:

• School-based mental health services are crucial for adolescents.
• Telehealth delivery models offer scalable solutions for youth mental health.
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST) is a structured program for depression prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the short-term effectiveness of a school-based telehealth-delivered IPT-AST program.
• To compare IPT-AST to services as usual (SAU) in reducing depression, anxiety, and impairment in adolescents.
• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of telehealth-delivered IPT-AST.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial with 242 adolescents (mean age 14.8) with elevated depression scores.
• Data collected at baseline, 2 months, and 3 months post-intervention.
• Hierarchical linear models used to analyze outcomes, with baseline depression diagnosis as a moderator.

Main Results:

• Both IPT-AST and SAU groups showed reductions in depression symptoms and impairment.
• IPT-AST significantly reduced anxiety symptoms more than SAU (p = .003).
• Adolescents without a baseline depression diagnosis benefited more from IPT-AST for depression and anxiety symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Telehealth-delivered IPT-AST is a feasible and acceptable intervention for adolescents with depression symptoms.
• The program shows particular promise for adolescents without a formal depression diagnosis.
• Outcomes suggest tailoring interventions based on baseline diagnostic status is beneficial.