Assessing the Efficacy and Safety of a Digital Therapeutic for Symptoms of Depression in Adolescents: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Depression is a serious, prevalent, recurrent, and undertreated disorder in adolescents. Low levels of treatment seeking and treatment adherence in this age group, combined with a growing national crisis in access to mental health care, have increased efforts to identify effective treatment alternatives for this demographic. Digital health interventions for mental illness can provide cost-effective, engaging, and accessible means of delivering psychotherapy to adolescents.

A CBT-based mobile intervention as an adjunct treatment for adolescents with symptoms of depression: a virtual randomized controlled feasibility trial.

Background: High rates of adolescent depression demand for more effective, accessible treatment options. A virtual randomized controlled trial was used to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a 5-week, self-guided, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based mobile application, Spark, compared to a psychoeducational mobile application (Active Control) as an adjunct treatment for adolescents with depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A community sample aged 13-21, with self-reported symptoms of depression, was recruited nationwide.