Program for education and enrichment of relational skills (PEERS) training for social skills and depressed mood intervention in young adult with depression: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: Depression is a common psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent low mood, reduced interest, and slowed thinking. Young adults are the main first-onset group for depression in all categories of the population. Program for education and enrichment of relational skills (PEERS) training, a program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills, has been used in Europe and America for people with various types of social disorders with good results. A Chinese adaptation of the PEERS training program may be a new approach to help youth with depression return to society as soon as possible. This study aimed to construct and optimize a social skills training program for Chinese young adults with depression and to validate the impact of the program. MATERIALS AND METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The aim of this trial protocol is to evaluate the efficacy of the localized PEERS training program on social competence, depressed mood in a Chinese young adult population with depression. The primary outcome will be a change in self-reported depressive symptoms from baseline to week 3 post-randomization to week 6 post-randomization measured using the Liebowitz social anxiety scale (LSAS). Secondary outcomes include the rate of decline in severe social anxiety, the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD), the Social Self-Efficacy Scale (PSSE), and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17). Data for each assessment will be collected at baseline, week 3 of the trial, and week 6 of the trial. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the Hospital Ethics Committee. Findings will be disseminated through scientific journals, conferences, and university courses. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: [http://www.chictr.org.cn/], identifier [ChiCTR2100046050].