CBT Enhanced With Social Cognitive Training vs. CBT Only With Depressed Youth

Depression in youth is a serious public health concern for which more personalized treatments are needed. This randomized controlled trial will test the effect of an intervention aimed at enhancing social cognitive capacities (e.g., ability to take another's perspective), thereby making treatment of depression in youth more efficient and effective. Participants in the R33 (N=82) will be youth between ages 13- through 17-years-old currently experiencing depression. Youth will be randomized to either an enhanced CBT intervention that teaches social cognitive skills, particularly social perspective taking and theory of mind (CBTSCT) as compared to CBT only. The primary target is improvement in both social cognitive skills and depressive symptoms at post-treatment and at a 6-month follow-up.

NCT Number	NCT05456035
Lead Sponsor	Vanderbilt University Collaborators: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Conditions	Depression
Enrollment	82 participants
Start Date	2022-10-10
Primary Completion	2026-08 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-08 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-09-09