A Remote Electronically Delivered Integrated Care Pathway: A Feasibility Study

Introduction: Depression is common and debilitating in the adolescent age range. Geography or other logistical barriers may prevent youth from accessing care. Progress in the treatment of youth that uses their tendencies to engage in electronically mediated contacts (e.g., text, online videos, and livestream video chat) can strategically address depressive disorders to overcome these barriers. Methods: The Principal Investigator will conduct a pilot single-arm trial to assess the feasibility of a 16-week remote electronically delivered integrated care pathway (ICP) for the treatment of adolescents (age 13-18) with major depressive disorder. CBT components being delivered has been tested in the age 18-30 with depression. The ICP includes: tele-psychiatry appointments, online measurement-based care, internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy combined with mindfulness training, and text-based health coaching. Eligible subjects will be recruited from Child, Youth and Family services at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The Principal Investigator aims to recruit 12 participants. Outcomes: Feasibility outcomes are of the primary interest; namely, recruitment rates, proportion of psychiatry appointments attended, proportion of self-report measures completed, proportion of online CBT videos viewed, number of text-exchanges between youth and health coaches, physical activity levels and qualitative feedback from youth about their experiences. Primary clinical outcomes will be described via self-reported depressive symptoms using the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include self-reported anxiety (anxiety-related subscales of the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale) and function (Youth Columbia Impairment Scale). The Principal Investigator will also measure self-injurious thoughts and behaviours using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Discussion: If results confirm hypotheses that youth can be feasibly treated with a remote electronically delivered ICP, further efficacy testing may be performed to assess this as a viable option for service delivery that reduces barriers to care.