Group Version of the UP-A in a Spanish Public Mental Health Setting.

Launched by UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA · Mar 24, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is focused on improving mental health support for teenagers who are dealing with anxiety, depression, or emotional difficulties. The researchers are adapting a treatment program called UP-A to work in group settings, specifically for adolescents aged 11 to 18 who speak Spanish and show mild to moderate emotional symptoms. The study aims to see how well this group approach helps young people, their parents, and healthcare providers by measuring improvements in mental health, satisfaction with the program, and overall engagement over a year.

To be eligible for the trial, participants need to have a diagnosed emotional disorder that isn’t too severe, and they must be able to attend treatment sessions along with at least one parent or guardian. Participants will also need to have stable medication if they are taking any. However, those with more serious mental health issues, such as suicidal thoughts or certain other disorders, won't be included. Throughout the study, participants will receive support in a group format, which can help reduce the feeling of isolation and improve their mental well-being. The trial is currently active but not recruiting new participants at this time.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Presenting a primary diagnosis of an emotional disorder with mild or moderate severity, including the following disorders based on DSM-5 categories: Depressive Disorders (Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder), Anxiety Disorders (Specific Phobia, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder), Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (including Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Hoarding Disorder, Trichotillomania and Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder), Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders (Reactive Attachment Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorders), Dissociative Disorders (Dissociative Identity Disorder, Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder) and Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders (Somatic Symptom Disorder and Illness Anxiety Disorder). Specified and unspecified disorders from the above categories were also included.
• • Being 11-18 years of age
• • Being proficient in Spanish
• • The adolescent being able to attend the treatment sessions
• • At least one of the adolescent's parents or legal guardians being able to attend the parents' treatment sessions
• • If the participant was taking psychiatric medication, the dose was required to remain stable for at least 1 month before the start of treatment and throughout it
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Presenting self-harm or suicidal ideation in a moderate or severe degree
• • Presenting certain of the following clinical conditions (either as a main or comorbid diagnosis): Neurodevelopmental Disorders (Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder); Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders; Eating Disorders; Psychotic Spectrum Disorders or psychotic-type symptoms,; Substance Abuse Disorders (excluding cannabis, coffee and/or nicotine); high severity Emotional Disorders; and Bipolar Disorders
• • The characteristics or severity of the symptoms presented by the adolescent requiring an individual intervention or one adapted to the specific clinical condition
• • Be receiving public or private psychological treatment during the UP-A program
• • Suffering from a serious medical illness that made the adolescent's participation in the treatment program unsustainable
• • The participant, or if under 16 years of age, his or her parents, having refused to sign the informed consent