Transdiagnostic Internet-delivered Intervention for Adolescents With Anxiety and Depression

Transdiagnostic Internet-delivered Intervention for Adolescents With Anxiety and Depression

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the efficacy of a transdiagnostic Internet-delivered interventions for Romanian adolescents with anxiety and/ or depression. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• What is the clinical efficacy of the Internet-delivered intervention?
• How accurate is the prediction model in predicting who will respond to treatment? Participants will undergo non-invasive fMRI to measure variability in brain signal as a proxy of the neural systems' adaptability before receiving the intervention, then they will be allocated either to the Internet-delivered intervention or control group.

To the best of investigators' knowledge, this is the first clinical trial conducted with adolescents diagnosed with anxiety/and or depressive disorders that tests the accuracy of a prediction model based on fMRI to investigate participants' response to a transdiagnostic Internet-delivered intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• elevated symptoms of anxiety or depression/ internalizing problems (T score> 60) at intake (based on Youth self-report completed by adolescents)
• primary diagnosis of an anxiety/depressive disorder based on DSM-5 criteria according to ADIS-5-C/P interview
• age 13-17
• able to read and understand Romanian language
• Currently unmedicated or on stable and adequate doses of medication for at least 6 weeks before treatment onset
• Internet access

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe mental disorder (psychosis, severe depression, bipolar disorder, based on clinical interview)
• any condition that interferes with the protocol implementation (e.g., physical illness or sensory impairment that interferes with behavioral tasks such as exposure, behavioral activation, unavailable for the next 3 months),
• active suicidal ideation (assessed by child psychiatrist during clinical interview) in the last month
• currently following CBT/ psychotherapy for anxiety/depression, in the last 6 months
• fMRI incompatible (based on safety questionnaire)
• Being diagnosed with an intellectual disability, pervasive developmental disorder, an alcohol and/or substance dependence disorder, reading disabilities (based on clinical interview).
• Current treatment with benzodiazepines