Clinical Trial: Improving Access to the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression Among Youth Linguistic Minorities

Study Status: Not yet recruiting
Recruit Status: Not yet recruiting
Study Type: Interventional




Official Title: Improving Access to the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression Among Linguistic Minorities: A Feasibility Open Trial of Internet-Delivered Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Amongst French Canad

Brief Summary:

Anxiety and depression represent the most common mental health problems. Unfortunately, only a minority of people in need will seek or access traditional mental health services. Access to traditional psychological care is even more challenging for linguistic minorities as well as for people living in rural areas and for young adults - a group that has the highest rate of anxiety and depression but the lowest rate of consulting traditional services.Telepsychotherapy can facilitate access to effective psychological care as done in Australia where the government has been offering an evidence-based 8-week online therapy program called the Wellbeing Course. This online course helps people manage worry, stress, anxiety and depression. It has been evaluated in several clinical trials and successfully implemented as an Australian national treatment service. Its transdiagnostic nature, and the fact that the guidance of a clinician is not required for an efficient and safe administration and maintenance of therapeutic gains make it not only a viable option, but also an easily accessible fist line intervention. More recently, findings from a feasibility study conducted by our research laboratory have supported the efficacy of a French-Canadian translation among French-speaking minorities in New-Brunswick. A version of the Wellbeing Course for young adults has been developed called the Mood Mechanic Course. Empirical support has been obtained.

This study is a feasibility open trial, the first phase of a 3-phase research program designed to implement a French-Canadian translation of the Mood Mechanic Course in New Brunswick targeting groups for which access to traditional services has been most problematic: youth (18 to 25 years old), people living in rural areas and linguistic minorities. The course is an 8-week week program based on principles of cognitive behaviour therapy. It incl