NCT05738967

Transdiagnostic Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression in Autistic Adolescents

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 47 (actual)
• Sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 12 Years – 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study tests the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy for autistic youth with anxiety and/or depression.

Detailed description

About 1 in 54 adolescents are estimated to be on the autism spectrum, with over half suffering from anxiety or depressive disorders. These disorders contribute to suicidality, family stress, social impairments, and difficulties transitioning to adulthood among autistic youth. Given the frequency of anxiety and depressive disorders among autistic adolescents and the increased risk of impairment, developing effective treatments for anxiety and depression tailored to this population is a top priority. Transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for other populations, including typically developing adolescents, may confer broader benefits than disorder-specific CBT and facilitate broader dissemination and implementation. However, there has been little research conducted on transdiagnostic treatments among autistic adolescents. Thus, this study proposes to address this gap by testing transdiagnostic CBT for autistic adolescents with anxiety and depression. The study involves two phases: 1) a pilot intervention; and 2) a randomized controlled trial. The pilot intervention will involve 12 adolescent-caregiver dyads to further refine the treatment model and its assessment measures. The randomized trial will involve 100 adolescent-caregiver dyads to further evaluate the clinical efficacy of the treatment.

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Emotional Disorder
• Autism

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)	Adolescent-caregiver dyads will will participate in CBT focused on exposure therapy and behavioral activation. It will also include flexible incorporation of emotion-focused coping and adaptations for autism.
BEHAVIORAL	Treatment as usual	Adolescent-caregiver dyads will participate in coordinated referrals to the community. They may receive psychotherapy and/or initiate or change current psychiatric medication (if applicable).

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-03-15
• Primary completion: 2025-05-31
• Completion: 2025-05-31
• First posted: 2023-02-22
• Last updated: 2025-07-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States