Evaluating feasibility of an ACT group telehealth-delivered therapy intervention for adolescents with depression

Increasing rates of adolescent depression call for efficient and accessible interventions that are well received by adolescents. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third-wave psychotherapy that has been shown to be effective in treating depression in adolescents, delivered both individually and in group settings. Group therapy can help address service provider shortages by enabling a single provider to treat multiple individuals at once. Additionally, telehealth allows greater access to care for individuals who cannot readily travel to a clinic. Telehealth-delivered group therapy combines these two strategies to facilitate adolescents’ access to mental health treatment. We piloted a 10-week group intervention, adapted from ACT for Adolescents with Depression , and explored its feasibility. Adolescent patients with depression (N = 10) ages 14 to 18 (M = 16; SD = 1.49 years), seeking mental health services, participated in the program and completed pre and post assessments. The majority identified as female (70%) and White (60%). The groups were well attended; only one patient dropped out, and one was discharged. The patients reported overwhelmingly overall positive experiences with the program. Group means for depression and anxiety scores in this sample decreased from baseline to end of treatment, psychological flexibility increased by the end of treatment, and no changes were observed in flourishing scores. Overall, the intervention was well accepted. Well-powered research studies with randomized allocation to telehealth delivered ACT and control groups are needed to test this protocol’s effectiveness in treating depression in adolescents as an independent treatment or as adjunct treatment to individual therapy.