New online 'Behavioral Vaccine' aims to stop teen depression before it starts

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

Inclusion Criteria: * Adolescents ages 13 through 18 years, and * Adolescents must be experiencing an elevated level of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 = 5-18), and * Adolescents will be included if they have had past depressive episode/s, but not if they are in a current depressive episode. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Outside age range: 1. 12 or younger 2. 19 or older 2. Adolescent is a non-English speaker/reader 3. On the PHQ-9 screening, depression symptom level is: 1. PHQ-9 = 4 or lower 2. PHQ-9 =19 or higher 4. As assessed by the MINI Kid, a current depressive episode 5. As assessed by the MINI Kid, adolescent meets DSM-5 criteria for a psychotic or bipolar disorder. 6. Currently using medication therapy for depression, anxiety, or other internalizing disorders. 7. Currently engaged in individual treatment for a mood disorder (assessed by BCC during phone screen) 8. Currently engaged in a cognitive-behavioral group or therapy (assessed by BCC during phone screen) 9. Any past psychiatric hospitalizations 10. Any past suicide attempt or incident of self-harm with moderate or greater lethality 11. Extreme, current drug/alcohol abuse (determined by clinician follow up following a score of 3 or greater on the CRAFFT) 12. Current suicidal thoughts 1. Eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis during the baseline PhQ-9 and MINI Kid assessment process and after a consultation with a licensed mental health clinician has taken place. If adolescent report suicidal ideation on the baseline PhQ-9, and found ineligible, the MINI Kid assessment may not be required. 2. Adolescents with current (within the past 6 months), active suicidal feelings will be excluded. 3. Adolescents with passive thoughts of death or suicide but report to the mental health clinician that they would never act on these thoughts may be admitted, depending on the severity of the risk. 4. Adolescents with past (greater than 6 months ago) ideation who are determined to be low risk will be admitted into the study if there has never been an attempt of moderate or greater lethality. 13. Significant reading impairment (a minimum sixth-grade reading level based on parental report) and/or significant intellectual or developmental disabilities 14. Not willing to comply with the study protocol 15. Did not complete phone assessment with MINI Kid by BCC 16. Not affiliated with any of the sites listed in Appendix A. 17. Parent/guardian does not speak English or Spanish 18. Parent/guardian has a cognitive or intellectual impairment 19. Participant Declined/Changed Mind/Uninterested in participating