Can learning to see Others' perspectives help depressed teens?

NCT ID NCT05456035

Symptom relief Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether adding social cognitive training—like learning to understand another person's point of view—to standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps teens with depression feel better. Researchers will compare two groups of 82 teens aged 13-17: one gets CBT plus social training, the other gets CBT alone. The goal is to see if the combined approach improves both social skills and depressive symptoms.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: Cognitive behavioral therapy plus social cognitive training (CBTSCT)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a more effective therapy for depressed teens by teaching them to better understand others' perspectives.
What could go wrong: This is a small early-stage trial with only 82 participants, so results may not apply to all teens. The added training may not improve depression more than standard CBT alone.

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

About 82 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Oct 2022

Expected to finish

Aug 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

13 to 17 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: 1. Participants ages 13- through 17-years-old 2. Youth must have a diagnosis of a current depressive disorder (e.g., major depressive episode; persistent depressive disorder) or a score on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) \> 15 Exclusion Criteria: * ever met criteria for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, or conduct disorder * current alcohol or substance use disorder with significant impairment * imminent risk of suicide * reading level \< 4th grade

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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

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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

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Can learning to see Others' perspectives help depressed teens?

What the study statuses mean