Our Voices Matter: Intervention for Depression in Youth

Over 15 million people participated in racial justice protests nationwide during 2020-2021 spotlighting activism as a collective tool against structural racism and discrimination (SRD). SRD manifests as policies and practices (e.g., redlining, voter suppression, mass incarceration) that produce hostile environments that contribute to psychological distress, elevated allostatic load, and an elevated risk for chronic diseases and premature death, concentrated within Black and Latinx populations. While the connection between SRD and health is well documented, few studies provide evidence on strategies to reduce SRD and mitigate consequences on psychological and physiological outcomes. Thus, there is a critical need to rigorously test interventions that improve the mental and physical health of Black and Latinx populations, beginning in adolescence. The study's specific aims are to 1) Determine whether a racial justice activism behavioral intervention prevents and reduces depressive symptoms in Black and Latinx adolescents and young adults and 2) Determine whether a racial justice activism behavioral intervention lowers allostatic load scores in Black and Latinx adolescents and young adults. To accomplish these aims, the team will conduct a stage II group-based, multi-component, and multilevel randomized behavioral clinical trial. The investigators will collect psychological and physiological measures at baseline, then at defined intervals for 2 years post the racial justice activism intervention.

NCT Number	NCT07216326
Lead Sponsor	Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Collaborators: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), Policy Research Associates
Conditions	Depressive Symptoms, Allostatic Load, Metabolic Syndrome
Enrollment	300 participants
Start Date	2025-06-06
Primary Completion	2028-12-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-12-29 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-15