Pilot Examination of a Telehealth, Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Adolescents

Pilot Examination of a Telehealth, Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Adolescents

This project is designed to refine a 6-week telehealth therapy intervention targeting negative interpersonal beliefs among community-dwelling youth with elevated levels of psychopathology. The study design is a single-arm open trial. The intervention is comprised of weekly teen and parent group cognitive-behavioral therapy, regular check-ins with the youths, and a module embedded throughout treatment that targets negative interpersonal beliefs (i.e., perceived social disconnection, burdensomeness). The goal of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of the treatment and assessment protocol, refine the intervention based on qualitative feedback, and evaluate changes in negative interpersonal beliefs. Youths complete two qualitative interviews about their interpersonal relationships and their feedback about the intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 14-17 years of age
• endorsement of perceived burdensomeness (score of greater than 3 on the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire)
• emotional/behavioral problems broadly defined (Pediatric Symptom Checklist score greater than 14)
• The family being under-resourced (i.e., family is below the US census poverty line; family is receiving economic or medical government aid; child is receiving reduced fee lunch; or primary caregiver is currently unemployed) or living in an under-resourced community (i.e., majority of households in the family's census block lives under the poverty line).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current need for acute psychiatric care (e.g., inpatient hospitalization)
• autism spectrum disorder
• psychosis
• other condition(s) related to pronounced cognitive impairment (i.e., marked impairment that precludes completion of questionnaires, verbal communication)
• Wards of the state