800 Participants Needed

Text Messaging Program for Depression

(iDOVE2 Trial)

Recruiting at 1 trial location
JV
ML
TC
DL
ML
Overseen ByMegan L Ranney, MD, MPH
Age: < 18
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: Rhode Island Hospital
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a program that starts with a session in the emergency room and continues with automated text messages to help high-risk teens prevent depression and violence. The program targets teens who often use emergency services and may lack other mental health resources. It provides ongoing support through text messages, with additional live counseling if no improvement is seen.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

Is the text messaging program for depression safe for humans?

The research suggests that using text messaging for depression is generally safe, as it is a private and scalable way to screen and monitor depression without significant safety concerns reported in the studies.12345

How is the Text Messaging Program for Depression treatment different from other treatments for depression?

The Text Messaging Program for Depression is unique because it uses mobile phone text messages to provide support and monitor depression, making it accessible and affordable, especially for low-income individuals who face barriers like transportation and childcare. This approach is different from traditional in-person therapy or medication, as it leverages technology to reach patients in a scalable and private manner.12678

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Brief ED Intervention (BI), Text for depression?

Research shows that text messaging programs can help reduce depressive symptoms and are feasible and acceptable for patients. Similar interventions have been effective in supporting patients with depression and other conditions like alcohol use disorder, and in reducing suicidal thoughts among youths.1891011

Who Is on the Research Team?

ML

Megan Ranney, MD, MPH

Principal Investigator

Yale School of Public Health

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English-speaking adolescents who have experienced physical violence in the past year and are showing mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms. They must be getting routine care in an emergency department, have a parent or guardian present to consent, and own a cell phone that can send texts.

Inclusion Criteria

Possession of a cell phone with text-messaging capability
Reporting past-year physical violence (using a modified version of The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-2) score ≥1), as identified on a brief screen administered in the ED
English-speaking
See 3 more

Exclusion Criteria

I am currently in the custody of police or child protective services.
I am unable to understand and agree to the study on my own.
You have reported feeling suicidal, experiencing hallucinations or delusions, being a victim of sexual assault, or being a victim of child abuse.
See 1 more

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants complete a baseline assessment and are randomized into one of four intervention groups

1 day
1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants receive a 20-minute Brief ED Intervention and/or an 8-week automated text-message intervention

8 weeks
1 visit (in-person) for ED session, ongoing text messages

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in depressive symptoms and peer violence at 2, 4, and 8 months post-enrollment

8 months
3 visits (virtual or in-person) at 2, 4, and 8 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

  • Brief ED Intervention (BI)
  • Text
Trial Overview 'iDOVE2' is being tested to prevent peer violence and depression among at-risk youth. It includes an initial brief session in the emergency department followed by ongoing automated text messages designed to support mental health over time.
How Is the Trial Designed?
4Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: No Brief ED Intervention (BI), + TextExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group II: + Brief ED Intervention (BI), no TextExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group III: + Brief ED Intervention (BI), + TextExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Group IV: No Brief ED Intervention (BI), no TextActive Control1 Intervention

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Rhode Island Hospital

Lead Sponsor

Trials
275
Recruited
71,400+

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Collaborator

Trials
2,103
Recruited
2,760,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study of 54 participants with depression and alcohol use disorder, those receiving supportive text messages showed significantly lower depression scores after three months compared to the control group, indicating improved mood.
While the text message group also tended to have longer periods of abstinence from alcohol, the difference was not statistically significant, suggesting that supportive messaging may help but further research is needed.
Supportive text messaging for depression and comorbid alcohol use disorder: single-blind randomised trial.Agyapong, VI., Ahern, S., McLoughlin, DM., et al.[2022]
A pilot study of a text-messaging intervention for youths discharged from the hospital after suicidal thoughts showed it was feasible and well-received, helping to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
The positive results of this intervention led to the Maryland Department of Health expanding the program to offer similar support to all Maryland residents, highlighting its potential effectiveness in suicide prevention.
A Brief Text-Messaging Intervention for Suicidal Youths After Emergency Department Discharge.Ryan, TC., Chambers, S., Gravey, M., et al.[2022]
A study involving 73 patients with Major Depressive Disorder found that receiving supportive text messages twice daily for 3 months significantly improved depression scores compared to a control group, with a notable effect size of 0.67.
The intervention also led to better self-rated quality of life scores, indicating that supportive text messaging could be an effective and accessible psychological intervention for depression, particularly in underserved populations.
Randomized controlled pilot trial of supportive text messages for patients with depression.Agyapong, VIO., Juhás, M., Ohinmaa, A., et al.[2018]

Citations

A technology-augmented intervention to prevent peer violence and depressive symptoms among at-risk emergency department adolescents: Protocol for a randomized control trial. [2020]
Supportive text messaging for depression and comorbid alcohol use disorder: single-blind randomised trial. [2022]
A Brief Text-Messaging Intervention for Suicidal Youths After Emergency Department Discharge. [2022]
Randomized controlled pilot trial of supportive text messages for patients with depression. [2018]
A text message alcohol intervention for young adult emergency department patients: a randomized clinical trial. [2022]
Screening Depression and Related Conditions via Text Messaging Versus Interview Assessment: Protocol for a Randomized Study. [2020]
Engaging users in the design of an mHealth, text message-based intervention to increase physical activity at a safety-net health care system. [2022]
Using High-Risk Adolescents' Voices to Develop a Comprehensible Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Text-Message Program. [2023]
Feasibility, acceptability and validity of SMS text messaging for measuring change in depression during a randomised controlled trial. [2018]
MEMO: an mHealth intervention to prevent the onset of depression in adolescents: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. [2019]
Intervention development of a brief messaging intervention for a randomised controlled trial to improve diabetes treatment adherence in sub-Saharan Africa. [2021]
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