Grant: Project Grant

Anxiety and depressive symptoms are common in adolescents, and access to psychotherapy can be difficult. Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is the most research-supported psychotherapy for anxiety and depression. The Teen Worry and Sadness Program (Teen iCBT), developed in Australia, is a 6-lesson internet-delivered CBT program completed over a 12-week period with support from a clinician and a parent/carer. The cultural adaptation of the program for Canada in French and English is supported by a consultation group composed of 15-20 youth, parents, and healthcare providers to enhance acceptability and engagement in diverse sociocultural contexts. In the current study, we propose to conduct a pilot and feasibility clinical study of the Teen iCBT program in youth aged 14 to 16 years, and to enhance participation with clinical support and a mobile phone interactive application. The study will be carried out in four regions in the province of Quebec. Participants with anxiety and depressive symptoms will self-refer to the study. The program will be implemented on the Equilia virtual clinic at Université de Sherbrooke. Patient level measures will include anxiety and depressive symptoms, wellbeing, psychological distress, quality of life, service utilization, adherence and satisfaction. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with adolescents and parents/carers. Results of the pilot and feasibility study will guide the methodology for a large scale randomized controlled trial that will provide important evidence-based data to support the adoption of iCBT for adolescents and scaling-up of the intervention across Canada. Given the mental health crisis in youth, an accessible iCBT program for worry and sadness could significantly contribute to the mental health and wellbeing of adolescents.