Implementing depression care in under-resourced communities: a school-based family resilience skill-building pilot randomized controlled trial in the United States

INTRODUCTION: Youth in under-resourced communities are more likely to have greater social risk factors for mental health needs yet have less access to needed care. School-based mental health services are effective in treating common disorders such as adolescent depression; however, few have a family-centered approach, which may especially benefit specific populations. METHODS: Utilizing a community-partnered approach, we adapted an established, trauma-informed, resilience skill-building family intervention for adolescents with depression. We conducted a small randomized controlled feasibility pilot of an adapted intervention in a large school district that serves predominately low-income, Latinx students in the Southwest United States between 2014-2017. Youth between the ages of 12-18 years old with a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) score of 10 or higher, who spoke English or Spanish, were recruited from 12 school mental health clinics. Twenty-five eligible adolescents with depression and their participating caregivers were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either the adapted intervention, Families OverComing Under Stress for Families with Adolescent Depression (FOCUS-AD), or usual care, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) only. Most of the sample was Latinx and female. We evaluated feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness. RESULTS: Among participants who completed standardized assessments administered at baseline and approximately five months post-randomization (n = 10 FOCUS-AD, n = 11 CBT only), effectiveness was explored by identifying significant changes over time in adolescent mental health within the FOCUS-AD and CBT only groups and comparing the magnitude of these changes between groups. Nonparametric statistical tests were used. We found the FOCUS-AD intervention to be feasible and acceptable; participant retention was high. Adolescent symptoms of depression (measured by the PHQ-8) improved significantly from baseline to follow-up for youth in both FOCUS-AD (median decrease [MD] = 10, p = 0.02) and control (MD = 6, p = 0.01) groups, with no significant difference across the two groups. Results were similar for symptoms of PTSD (measured by the Child PTSD Symptom Scale; FOCUS-AD MD = 12.5, p = 0.01; CBT only MD = 7, p = 0.04; no significant difference between groups). CONCLUSION: Family-centered approaches to depression treatment among adolescents living in under-resourced communities may lead to improved mental health, although further research is warranted.