Measuring and Enhancing Creativity and Brain Flexibility in Adolescents With Depression

NCT07605975 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: PSYCH-2021-30129
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 160
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This research is designed to find out if engaging in creative activities will help adolescents with depression have more flexible thinking, start to see and appreciate their own talents, and develop a more positive view of themselves and their future.

Conditions

Depression Symptoms

Keywords

creative arts; adolescent depression

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Child Depression Inventory 2 (CDI-2).

  The CDI (2) is a self-report questionnaire completed by child and parent separately. The Child CDI 2 is a 28-item measure of depression symptoms for youth ages 7-17. For each item, participants selected one of three choices that describe the severity of their symptoms over the past 2 weeks. Responses are: 0 (no symptoms), 1 (mild or probable symptoms), or 2 (definite symptoms). The 17-item Parent CDI 2, has four choices per item, ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (much or most of the time). For both child and parent reports, higher scores mean more severe depression.

  Week 2

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED)

  Month 3

• The Zest for Life Scale (ZLS)

  Week 1

• The Flourishing Scale

  Week 2

• The Satisfaction with Life Scale

  Week 2

Study Arms (1)

Creativity Camp

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants who enrolled in the study were assigned to the Creativity Camp. In Summer 2022, participants were 1:1 randomized to "early" (2 weeks before camp, before camp, after camp) or "late" assessments (before camp, after camp, and 2 weeks after camp). This allowed for an approximation of a waitlist-control design, where we compared the changes during the "waitlist" (the two weeks before camp for the "early" group) to the changes during camp for the "active" group (changes from pre to post intervention for the "late" group) and also allowed us to explore short-term durability of effects in the "late" group. In 2023 and 2025, since MRI was no longer required, clinical data were collected at all 4 time points: 2 weeks before, before camp, after camp, and 2 weeks after camp. This allows for analysis of the data using a "waitlist control" approach while not changing the experience at the level of the participant.

Other: Creativity Camp

Interventions

Creativity Camp OTHER

An 8-day creativity camp that includes a variety of different kinds of creative arts activities.

Creativity Camp

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• age 12-17 years
• Phase 1: no clinical diagnosis required.
• Phase 2: presence of at least "mild" depression symptoms as measured by a score of at least 12 on the parent-report Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) (completed in the screening form).
• Phase 2, Summer 2025 East African cohort: The adolescent identifies as East African.
• Phase 2, Summer 2025 Native American cohort: The adolescent identifies as Native American.

You may not qualify if:

• neurodevelopmental disorder such as intellectual disability or moderate / severe autism, as indicated by parent report;
• significant medical conditions that would interfere with participating in study activities;
• currently active suicidal ideation, and unable to agree to an appropriate safety plan

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Minnesota: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 18, 2026
• First Posted: May 26, 2026
• Study Start: June 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2025
• Study Completion: August 31, 2025
• Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Locations

US (1)