Can talking therapy ease the double burden of sickle cell and racism?
NCT ID NCT05685368
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is testing whether a type of talk therapy called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can help Black teenagers and young adults with sickle cell disease feel less stressed, anxious, and depressed. About 66 youth and their parents will join group therapy sessions and fill out surveys before, after, and three months later. The goal is to see if this approach is practical and helpful for coping with race-related stress and preparing for adult healthcare.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) group sessions
- What this could lead to
- If this works, it could provide a practical, community-based therapy to help young people with sickle cell disease manage race-related stress and improve their mental health and readiness for adult care.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study with only 66 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy is behavioral, so benefits depend on individual engagement, and there is no control group to compare against.
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
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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 66 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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14 to 21 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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.
Youth Participant Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria The inclusion criteria for study participation are Be an adolescent and/or young adult (age 14-21) who has Sickle Cell Disease Willing to enroll in the ACT group jointly provided by the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine/Department of Hematology and Oncology Participants can be active, waitlisted, or new patients at CHLA Participants must be able to understand and speak English, as the therapy will only be delivered in English Participants must have an English-speaking parent/guardian Able to provide consent/assent An adolescent or young adult that is pregnant is eligible to participate if consent can be obtained Participants must be developmentally typical Have a stable internet connection (via computer, tablet, or phone) with access to a webcam and a private space to engage in a group therapy sessions; Must consent to audio and video recording of initial interview. Must agree to attend 6 weekly ACT group session Youth participants will be asked to become a member of the CAB. To become a CAB member, the youth participant must consent/assent to participation in the ACT intervention. If a CAB member, they must be willing to engage in CAB interviews and meetings. The exclusion criteria are: Prisoners or youth in detention centers Unable to understand or speak English Does not have SCD Clients who are at significant risk for suicide and self-injury will be excluded due to the intense levels of support required to support these individuals which would interfere with study procedures. Adolescents with families that require frequent intervention from the Department of Children and Family Services, are currently experiencing psychosis, or have severe health concerns that will impact study participation or attendance will be excluded.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Hospital Los Angeles
RECRUITINGLos Angeles, California, 90027, United States
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