Behavioral Activation for Treatment of Depression in Autistic Adolescents With Below Average Intelligence

Conditions

• Autism
• Depressed
• Depressed Mood

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

12 Years - 17 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• BA-A — BEHAVIORAL
  BA-A is an individually delivered manualized 12-session treatment that utilizes established behavioral strategies and incorporates common mental health treatment adaptations for autistic young people.

Study Details

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by differences in social communication/interaction and the presence of restricted/repetitive behaviors, with significant heterogeneity in terms of autistic features, language ability, and cognitive characteristics. About 2-3% of individuals in the United States are autistic, and most autistic individuals have co-occurring mental health conditions. Autistic people are 3-4 times more likely to experience depression than non-autistic people. Of the emerging depression treatment research with autistic people, none to date has focused on developing and testing a depression treatment for autistic youth with below average cognitive abilities - a group which comprises over 50% of the autistic community. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate the feasibility (Aim 1), acceptability (Aim 2), and preliminary treatment effects (Aim 3) of an extension of Behavioral Activation for Depression in Autistic Adolescents (BA-A), adapted to meet the needs of cognitively lower functioning autistic youth.

Key Dates

First listed

Sep 10, 2026

Start date

Aug 10, 2026

Status verified

Sep 2026

Primary completion

Sep 30, 2027

Completion

Sep 30, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment

18 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Experimental: BA-A
  BA-A is an individually delivered manualized 12-session treatment that utilizes established behavioral strategies and incorporates common mental health treatment adaptations for autistic young people.

Primary Outcome Measure

Children's Depression Rating Scale, Revised [ Time Frame: Baseline, Post-Treatment (i.e., after completion of 12 weekly therapy sessions [typically 12-13 weeks after baseline]), 1-Month Follow-Up (1 month following completion of therapy sessions) ]

Central Contacts

• Michelle Menezes, PhD
  631-638-3819
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Stony Brook, NY

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