Supporting Our Valued Adolescents Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary

The purpose of this pilot study is to provide preliminary findings testing the Supporting Our Valued Adolescents (SOVA) intervention, two social media sites (one for adolescents, one for parents) aiming to address negative health beliefs, knowledge about depression or anxiety, parent-adolescent communication, in a moderated online peer community, with the goal of increasing adolescent use of mental health services.

Conditions

• Depression
• Anxiety

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Supporting Our Valued Adolescents (SOVA)

The SOVA intervention includes: * a welcome email to the websites (adolescents also get a SOVA intro video and mobile app) * adolescents will have access to the website specifically for adolescents: sova.pitt.edu * parents will have access to the website specifically for parents: wisesova.pitt.edu These anonymous websites aim to: (1) challenge negative health beliefs and increase depression/anxiety knowledge through daily blog posts enhanced with peer commentary; (2) promote social support through online peer interactions; and (3) encourage parent-adolescent mental health communication through same day blog posts with questions for discussion. Parents and adolescents cannot log on to each other's sites. The sites are moderated by our research team. The SOVA websites include articles composed by SOVA Peer Ambassadors who are adolescents and young adults who have experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety and contribute monthly articles and regular comments.

OTHER

Enhanced Usual Care

A social worker at the Center for Adolescent and Young Adult Health (CAYAH) clinic helps to facilitate referrals from the adolescent healthcare provider (AHCP) and contacts patients who do not schedule for within-CAYAH appointments.The study will send an extra email to the parent and adolescent that contains the content of the depart summary as well as a list of psychoeducational materials, how to contact the AHCP, CAYAH social worker, and crisis resources and the AHCP's treatment recommendation which are obtained from the electronic health record. Also, each individual will receive a phone call from a research assistant who will communicate the information in the email and offer to inform the social worker or AHCP of questions the patient or parent may have.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Pittsburgh

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

12 Years

Max Age

19 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-04-17

Primary Completion

2020-04-06

Completion

2020-04-06

Countries

• United States

Study Locations