Digital Mood-enhanced CBT-I to Improve Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

Launched by CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG · Apr 9, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring a new way to help teenagers who are struggling with both insomnia (trouble sleeping) and depression. The study is comparing two types of online therapy: one that focuses on improving both sleep and mood (called mood-enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or M-dCBT-I) and a standard version that just focuses on sleep (called dCBT-I). The goal is to see which approach is more effective in reducing depressive symptoms in adolescents and whether the benefits last over time.

To be eligible for this study, participants need to be Chinese adolescents aged 12 to 18 who have significant insomnia and moderate depression as identified by specific questionnaires. They should also be able to read and understand Chinese and own a smartphone. However, those with serious suicidal thoughts or other major mental health disorders, as well as certain sleep disorders, won't be able to participate. If you or someone you know fits the criteria, this study could provide helpful insights into improving both sleep and mood for teenagers facing these challenges.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Chinese adolescent aged 12-18 years old
• • 2. presence of insomnia problems as defined by insomnia severity index ≥ 9 (locally validated cut off for detecting clinical insomnia in adolescents)
• • 3. presence of depressive problems as defined by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) using cut off of 10 for detecting clinical depression
• • 4. ability to read and understand Chinese
• • 5. possession of smartphone
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. presence of prominent suicidality (suicide plans and suicide attempts) as determined by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
• • 2. a clinical diagnosis of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, or intellectual disability
• • 3. presence of other sleep disorders that significantly affect sleep continuity or sleep quality (e.g. restless leg symptoms or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome) as determined by validated Diagnostic Interview for Sleep Patterns and Disorders
• • 4. currently receiving psychological treatment for insomnia and/or pharmacological treatment for depression