Could a virtual activity-based therapy lift teen depression?
NCT ID NCT06273995
First seen Aug 04, 2026 · Last updated Aug 05, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a type of talk therapy called behavioral activation, delivered over telehealth, can reduce depression and suicidal thoughts in teens aged 12-17. Participants will attend weekly virtual sessions for 8-10 weeks, learning to engage in enjoyable and meaningful activities. The goal is to see if this approach improves mood, increases activity, and lessens feelings of hopelessness.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Behavioral activation therapy delivered via telehealth
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could offer a practical, scalable way to reduce depression and suicide risk in teens, potentially expanding access to care.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is early and results may not apply broadly. Some teens may not respond to behavioral activation, and telehealth may not suit everyone.
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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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
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About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 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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12 to 18 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.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants must be enrolled in the Texas Youth Depression Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN) Registry Study; 2. Be between the ages of 12- 18 or currently enrolled in high school; 3. Have a caregiver that is willing to participate in the program; 4. Be able to commit to weekly sessions for eight weeks; 5. Be currently experiencing depressive symptoms; 6. Be able to participate in telehealth services within the state of Texas; 7. Be willing to provide consent/assent (parents/legally authorized representative (LAR)/guardian or young adult participant, aged 18 or older, must be willing to provide consent; youth, aged 12-17, must be willing to provide assent); 8. Be able to read, write and speak English or Spanish sufficiently to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent to participate in the study; 9. Be willing to dedicate appropriate time to complete scheduled study assessment and measures and attend intervention sessions (both parent/LAR/guardian and youth) 10. Be able to provide a reliable means of contact. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Have an acute medical or psychological condition(s) that that would, in the judgment of the study medical clinician, make participation difficult or unsafe; 2. Have an acute medical or psychological condition(s) that would result in an inability to accurately complete study requirements (e.g., neurological conditions or significant neurodevelopmental concerns); 3. Have active psychotic or manic symptoms resulting in altered mental status and inability to provide assent or requiring immediate attention and/or higher level of intervention; 4. Have a parent/LAR/guardian who is deemed cognitively unable to provide consent (if youth participant, aged 12-17).
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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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Baylor College of Medicine
RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
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