Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Could treating childhood depression be more effective when parents join the therapy?

NCT ID NCT01159041

Disease control Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Summary

This study compares two treatments for depression in children aged 7 to 13: a family-focused therapy that works with both the child and parents, versus individual therapy for the child alone. The family approach aims to improve parent-child interactions, communication, and coping skills. Over 14 weeks, researchers will measure which treatment leads to better depression outcomes.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Family Focused Treatment (FFT) — a behavioral therapy involving child and parents, focusing on positive interactions, communication, and coping skills
What this could lead to
If successful, this could show that involving parents directly in therapy is more effective for childhood depression than treating the child alone.
What could go wrong
This is a relatively small, early-stage study comparing two behavioral approaches, so results may not generalize widely. The therapy requires active parent participation, which may not be feasible for all families.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

134 people

The number who actually took part.

Start date

Jan 2010

Finished

Dec 2016

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

7 to 13 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * current Depressive Disorder * ages 7-13 years * living with at least one biological parent willing to participate Exclusion Criteria: * thought disturbance * severe conduct disorders * unstable on antidepressant medications * continuation in current non-study treatment * non-English speaking

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Depression are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Depression

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Boston University

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

  • UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

    Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.