Does interpersonal psychotherapy improve clinical care for adolescents with depression attending a rural child and adolescent mental health service? Study protocol for a cluster randomised feasibility trial

Catherine Anastasia Bearsley-Smith, Mark Anthony Oakley Browne, Kenneth John Sellick, Elmer Virgil Villanueva, Janice Evelyn Chesters, Karen Louise Francis, Prasuna Reddy

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6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Depression amongst adolescents is a costly societal problem. Little research documents the effectiveness of public mental health services in mapping this problem. Further, it is not clear whether usual care in such services can be improved via clinician training in a relevant evidence based intervention. One such intervention, found to be effective and easily learned amongst novice clinicians, is Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). The study described in the current paper has two main objectives. First, it aims to investigate the impact on clinical care of implementing Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents for the treatment of adolescent depression within a rural mental health service compared with Treatment as Usual (TAU). The second objective is to record the process and challenges (i.e. feasibility, acceptability, sustainability) associated with implementing and evaluating an evidence-based intervention within a community service. This paper outlines the study rationale and design for this community based research trial.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1 - 7
Number of pages7
JournalBMC Psychiatry
Volume7
Issue number53
Publication statusPublished - 2007

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