Strategic Treatment and Assessment for Youth (STAY)

Launched by YALE UNIVERSITY · Jul 16, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The STAY trial is a research study aimed at helping young people aged 12 to 18 who are experiencing depression or having thoughts of self-harm or suicide. This study focuses on a new approach called Strategic Treatment Assessment for Youth (STAY), which is designed specifically for youth from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. The goal is to see how well this tailored method works in keeping these young individuals engaged in mental health treatment and improving their overall well-being. Researchers will first refine the treatment plan and then test it in several community mental health clinics, comparing it to standard care.

To participate in the study, adolescents must be between the ages of 12 and 18, identify as a racial or ethnic minority, and show signs of moderate depression. They also need to be able to speak English or Spanish and have a parent or guardian available to give consent. Parents or guardians must be English-speaking and able to provide consent as well. This trial is an important step toward developing effective treatments for youth struggling with mental health issues, and it aims to gather valuable information that could lead to larger studies in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • \*Note: This study includes data collection from mental health clinicians, youth, and parents/caregivers. The age limits for each participant group vary and are specified below.
• Inclusion Criteria for Aim 2 Adolescent client participants:
• • Age 12 to 18
• • Identify as a racial or ethnic minoritized (i.e., Black or African American; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; Hispanic or Latinx) youth
• • Have at least moderate depression symptoms based on moderate range of a validated depression assessment collected at intake by the participating agency such as the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) or Hamilton Depression Index with or without Parent- or adolescent- reported or healthcare provider- documented thoughts and/or behaviors related to self-harm or suicide in the three (3) months prior to first contact with participating agency
• • Assigned or triaged to work with one of the clinician participants included in the study (below)
• • Made first contact (e.g., initial phone call, attended intake appointment) with a participating agency less than or equal to one (1) month prior to the recruitment date (but ideally within (1) week of intake appointment)
• • English- or Spanish-speaking
• • Legal parent or guardian available to provide informed consent
• • Able to provide informed assent
• Inclusion Criteria for Aim 2 Parent/Guardian participants:
• • Legal guardian of one of the adolescent client participants included in the study (above)
• • English-speaking
• • Able to provide informed consent
• Inclusion Criteria for Aim 2 Clinician participants:
• • Provides community-based mental health treatment to youth
• • Holds a professional license or certification in their state to provide mental health treatment OR are supervised by a clinician with professional license or certification in their state to provide mental health treatment
• • Are a clinician identified for recruitment because they are part of a participating mental health clinic/site
• • Age 18 or older
• • English- or Spanish-speaking
• • Able to provide informed consent
• • Individuals who do not meet all inclusion criteria are, by definition, excluded. There are no other exclusion criteria.