R4Power: An Online Resilience Program for Adolescents

Sponsor

Swarthmore College (Other)

Overall Status

Unknown status

CT.gov ID

NCT00641368

Collaborator

(none)

200

Enrollment

Location

Arms

Duration (Months)

8.3

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The study will evaluate the R4Power program, an online intervention designed to teach adolescents coping and problem-solving skills.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Depression Anxiety	Behavioral: R4Power Program Other: Waitlist Control	Phase 1

Detailed Description

This study examines the feasibility of a 10-lesson web-based intervention, the R4Power program, and its effectiveness in preventing symptoms of depression and anxiety. The R4Power Program teaches cognitive and problem-solving skills covered in classroom based interventions, including the Penn Resiliency Program, that have been found to reduce or prevent symptoms of depression in children and adolescents. This study examines whether adolescents can benefit from learning these skills through a computer (rather than classroom) intervention.

Adolescents in grades 6 through 8 who participate in this study will be assigned to one of two conditions: an intervention group that will complete the R4Power program during the first year (R4Power1), or a waitlist control group that will complete the R4Power program the following year (R4Power2). Students will complete the 10-lesson program over the course of twelve weeks. They will learn and practice cognitive skills (recognizing the link between their thoughts and feelings, identifying thinking traps, challenging their negative beliefs) and problem-solving skills (assertiveness, relaxation and distraction, overcoming procrastination, and decision making). Adolescents who participate in this study will be followed for one year, and their coping responses and symptoms of depression and anxiety will be assessed at four points: at the beginning of the study (baseline) and at follow-up assessments approximately 4, 12 and 16 months after baseline.

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Anticipated Enrollment :

200 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Prevention

Official Title:

R4Power: An Online Resilience Program for Adolescents

Study Start Date :

Oct 1, 2007

Anticipated Primary Completion Date :

Oct 1, 2009

Anticipated Study Completion Date :

Oct 1, 2009

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: 1 R4Power Program	Behavioral: R4Power Program In the 10-lesson online R4Power Program, adolescents will learn cognitive skills (link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; thinking traps; challenging negative beliefs) and problem-solving skills (assertiveness; relaxation and distraction; overcoming procrastination; decision-making) in order to cope with stressful situations. Other Names: R4Power1
Other: 2 Waitlist Control	Other: Waitlist Control Adolescents in the waitlist control group will complete the R4Power program during the second year of the study. Other Names: R4Power2

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: 1

R4Power Program

Behavioral: R4Power Program

In the 10-lesson online R4Power Program, adolescents will learn cognitive skills (link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; thinking traps; challenging negative beliefs) and problem-solving skills (assertiveness; relaxation and distraction; overcoming procrastination; decision-making) in order to cope with stressful situations.

Other Names:

R4Power1

Other: 2

Waitlist Control

Other: Waitlist Control

Adolescents in the waitlist control group will complete the R4Power program during the second year of the study.

Other Names:

R4Power2

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Adolescents' coping strategies by self-report [Measured at baseline and follow-ups approximately 4, 12, and 16 months after baseline]
Adolescents' depressive symptoms by self-report [Measured at baseline and follow-ups approximately 4, 12, and 16 months after baseline]

Secondary Outcome Measures

Adolescents' symptoms of anxiety by self-report [Measured at baseline and follow-ups approximately 4, 12, and 16 months after baseline]

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

11 Years to 15 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

6th-8th grade students attending participating school OR adolescents aged 11-15 living in greater Philadelphia area
Access to high speed internet connection (at home, school, or another location)