Try the modernized ClinicalTrials.gov beta website. Learn more about the modernization effort.
Working…
ClinicalTrials.gov
ClinicalTrials.gov Menu

Increasing Access to Evidence-based Treatments for Depression

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details.
 
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04619615
Recruitment Status : Recruiting
First Posted : November 6, 2020
Last Update Posted : November 6, 2020
Sponsor:
Collaborators:
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Women's College Hospital
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada

Brief Summary:
The goal of this single-blind, randomized controlled pilot study is to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of an Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) asynchronous self-directed digital training platform for psychiatry residents, as compared to synchronous large group online workshop teaching. This study has the potential to improve access to competency-based training and dissemination of IPT, impacting healthcare delivery with increasing access to this evidence-based psychological depression treatment.

Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Education, Medical Other: Asynchronous self-directed digital training Other: Synchronous large group online workshop Not Applicable

Show Show detailed description

Layout table for study information
Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Estimated Enrollment : 87 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description: This is a mixed-methods feasibility and acceptability study, with a single blind randomized controlled design comparing asynchronous self-directed digital IPT training to a synchronous large group online IPT workshop.
Masking: Single (Participant)
Masking Description: Patient participants will be blind to which training modality their resident therapist has been randomized to.
Primary Purpose: Other
Official Title: Increasing Access to Evidence-based Treatments for Depression: The Development and Evaluation of a Digital Training Platform for Interpersonal Psychotherapy.
Actual Study Start Date : July 27, 2020
Estimated Primary Completion Date : December 2021
Estimated Study Completion Date : July 2022

Resource links provided by the National Library of Medicine


Arm Intervention/treatment
Experimental: Asynchronous self-directed digital training
A digital training program platform that delivers an interactive case-based modular curriculum covering evidence-based psychotherapy principles and IPT-specific principles and strategies with homework will take roughly 13 hours to complete, with 4.5 hours of online learning, and an additional 7.5 hours of reading and homework assignments. The reading and homework includes viewing captioned videotaped role plays and completing self-directed lesson plans. The digital curriculum leverages audio, video, and visual content, and is self-directed - for completion within a 2-week period. Residents can access this content through a smartphone, tablet or computer at their own pace, revisit modules and digital content as needed, and access a curated list of additional resources to supplement their learning.
Other: Asynchronous self-directed digital training
Resident participants will be able to complete the digital training at their own pace.

Active Comparator: Synchronous large group online workshop
This condition will reflect training as usual. Training will involve the same content contained in the asynchronous self-directed digital training platform, except delivered over a one day (4.5 hours of online instruction) workshop; and residents will be required to do the same reading and homework of lesson plans and viewing of the on-line videotaped role plays (an additional ~7.5 hours in total).
Other: Synchronous large group online workshop
Resident participants will complete the digital training platform in real time over the course of a one day, live workshop (4.5 hours of online instruction).




Primary Outcome Measures :
  1. Recruitment rate - resident and patient participants [ Time Frame: 1.5 year recruitment period ]
    Number recruited per site per month for the intervention arm vs the control arm

  2. Retention rate - resident and patient participants [ Time Frame: two years ]
    Percentage of patient and resident participants retained and assessed with valid primary outcome data for the intervention vs control.

  3. Participation rate - resident participants [ Time Frame: Assessed throughout the 2-3 weeks training period. ]
    Percentage of resident participants who complete the online modules and homework assignments for the intervention vs control.


Secondary Outcome Measures :
  1. Acceptability of the intervention [ Time Frame: Immediately after resident participants' final session with their IPT patient. ]
    We will assess acceptability by conducting a process evaluation; this will take the form of semi-structured interviews with all residents in the intervention to explore experiences of learning through the asynchronous self-directed online curriculum and platform along with facilitators and barriers to attaining the learning objectives of achieving competency in delivering IPT.

  2. Depression - patient participant [ Time Frame: up to 12 weeks ]
    Depressive symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a self-rating instrument that assesses symptoms of depression experienced during the past 2 weeks and is based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for MDD. Each of the nine items includes four possible responses related to symptom duration (e.g. not at all to nearly every day). Scores ≥10 (scale range 0-27) are often used to identify major depression.

  3. Anxiety - patient participant [ Time Frame: up to 12 weeks ]
    Anxiety symptoms as measured by the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7). The GAD-7 is a 7-item, self-rated scale developed as a screening tool and severity indicator for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Items are rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale (0 = not at all to 3 = nearly every day). Scores range from 0 to 21 with higher scores indicating more severe GAD symptoms.

  4. Patient improvement - resident participant [ Time Frame: up to 12 weeks ]
    Resident participants will fill in a measure of their global impression of their patient's improvement via the Clinical Global Impressions of Improvement (CGI-I) scale. This is a clinician rated scale that assesses the extent of clinical change in the patient at the point of assessment compared with baseline, and has a 7-point range, from 'Very much improved' 1 to 'Very much worse' 7. Higher scores signify greater severity and/or worse outcomes. The CGI-I has been found to be highly sensitive to change.

  5. Therapeutic alliance - patient participants [ Time Frame: At week 3 and week 12. ]
    The Working Alliance Inventory-Short Revised (WAI-SR) is used by psychotherapists to assess and measure the therapeutic alliance for supervision and research purposes. The WAI-SR is a 12- item scale and consists of three subscales that measure three aspects of the therapeutic alliance: goals (agreement on the goals of therapy), tasks (agreement on the agenda of the therapy) and affective bond (development of relational bond between the client and the therapist). Each item is rated on a 7- point scale ranging from 1 (never) to 7 (always).

  6. Therapy quality - resident participant [ Time Frame: up to 12 weeks ]
    The Brief IPT Checklist (BIC) will assess therapy quality. Developed by the study PI and used in other IPT-training initiatives in Ethiopia, China and Canada, this 15-item checklist includes essential IPT therapist behaviours across all sessions and within specific phases (beginning, middle or end). Response options for each item are recorded on a Likert scale of 0 (not done) to 4 (excellent). For consenting resident and patient pairs, each IPT therapy session will be audio recorded, and 1 randomly chosen from each of the early (sessions 1-2), middle (sessions 3-10) and late (sessions 11-12) phases of the therapy will be rated by independent experts in IPT (not study supervisors) and the resident therapist (after each therapy session) using the BIC.

  7. IPT knowledge - resident participant [ Time Frame: Baseline and at 12 weeks. ]
    IPT knowledge will be measured by a 25-item quiz derived from principles of IPT. The quiz will include case-based multiple-choice and short-answer questions that examine the trainees understanding of phase- and focus-specific therapeutic guidelines of IPT.

  8. Counseling self-efficacy - resident participant [ Time Frame: Baseline and the 12-week course of therapy. ]
    Counselling self-efficacy will be measured by using the counselling self-estimate inventory (COSE). It is a 42-item scale and includes both positive and negative statements about counselling self-efficacy. Respondents are asked to rate on a 6-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree) how they would perform in a counselling situation at the present time. The higher the score the stronger perception of counselling self-efficacy.

  9. Resident competence - resident participant [ Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention. ]
    Resident participants will be assessed for competency through structured role plays using the investigator-developed Brief IPT Checklist (BIC) Using standardized patients, there will be two vignettes per resident on 2 differing IPT focal areas of social role transitions and disputes which will be rated by two experts in IPT (not study supervisors) on IPT-specific and general psychotherapy skills, on a scale of 0 (not done) to 2 (done well). The average score between the two role plays will be selected as a measure of the trainee competence. After the role play is finished, the standardized patients will be asked four questions to assess their impression of the resident participant's performance, and whether they would want to return for psychotherapy treatment with the resident.



Information from the National Library of Medicine

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.


Layout table for eligibility information
Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years and older   (Adult, Older Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria - Residents

  • Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC), Women's College Hospital (WCH) and the Centre for Addition and Mental Health (CAMH) PGY2-5 psychiatry residents treating patients
  • Able to participate in the asynchronous self-directed on-line/synchronous large group online workshop
  • Ability to add 1-2 patients to their caseload and provide a minimum of 12 IPT sessions over 6 months.

Exclusion Criteria - Residents

  • Academic concerns as flagged by the University of Toronto General Psychiatry program as evidenced by a referral to the University of Toronto Psychiatry Resident Evaluation Subcommittee OR significant concerns regarding promotion or progression as flagged by the University of Toronto Psychiatry Post-graduate Competence Sub-committee (responsible for reviewing all resident files twice a year).

Inclusion Criteria - Patients

  • Adults (≥18 years)
  • Experiencing clinically significant depressive symptoms (defined as a score of ≥10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PHQ-9, during eligibility screening).
  • Able to commit to attending a minimum of 12 IPT sessions over 6 months
  • Sufficient English and literacy levels to fill in self-report measures

Exclusion Criteria - Patients

  • Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, or psychotic or manic symptoms
  • Active alcohol or substance use disorder within the past 6 months, assessed by a score >1 on items "2" through "5" the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Short Screener (GAIN-SS).
  • Self-harm and/or at high risk of suicide or suicidal behaviors, as assessed by a score of >1 on question 9 of the PHQ-9, followed by an assessment of active suicidal ideation on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), as confirmed by the site PI
  • Severe symptoms of depression, defined as a score of ≥20 on the PHQ-9 during eligibility screening
  • <6 months discharged from psychiatric in-patient unit

Information from the National Library of Medicine

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT04619615


Contacts
Layout table for location contacts
Contact: Shahana Sittamapalam, BA 416-586-4800 Shahana.Sittamapalam@sinaihealth.ca
Contact: Andrea Lawson, PhD andrea.lawson@wchospital.ca

Locations
Layout table for location information
Canada, Ontario
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Recruiting
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4N 3M5
Contact: Sophie Grigoriadis, MD, MA, PhD    416-480-5677    sophie.grigoriadis@sunnybrook.ca   
Principal Investigator: Mark Fefergrad, MD         
Principal Investigator: Sophie Grigoriadis, MD, MA, PhD         
Mount Sinai Hospital Recruiting
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X5
Contact: Shahana Sittamapal, BA       Shahana.Sittamapalam@sinaihealth.ca   
Principal Investigator: Paula Ravitz, MD         
Principal Investigator: Daisy Singla, PhD, C. Psyc         
Women's College Hospital Not yet recruiting
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1B2
Contact: Simone Vigod, MD, MSc    416-323-6400 ext 4080    simone.vigod@wchospital.ca   
Contact: Maria Michalowska    416-323-6400    Maria.Michalowska@wchospital.ca   
Principal Investigator: Simone Vigod, MD, MSc         
Sub-Investigator: Andrea Lawson, PhD         
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Not yet recruiting
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6J 1H4
Contact: Sophie Soklaridis, PhD    (416) 535-8501    sophie.soklaridis@camh.ca   
Principal Investigator: Sophie Soklaridis, PhD         
Sub-Investigator: Jan Malat, MD         
Sponsors and Collaborators
Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Women's College Hospital
Investigators
Layout table for investigator information
Principal Investigator: Paula Ravitz, MD Sinai Health System
Principal Investigator: Daisy Singla, PhD, C. Psyc Sinai Health System
Additional Information:
Publications:

Layout table for additonal information
Responsible Party: Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04619615    
Other Study ID Numbers: 19-0333-E
First Posted: November 6, 2020    Key Record Dates
Last Update Posted: November 6, 2020
Last Verified: November 2020
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
Plan to Share IPD: No

Layout table for additional information
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: No
Keywords provided by Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada:
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Resident Education
Online Training
Depression
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Layout table for MeSH terms
Depression
Behavioral Symptoms