Klein Buendel, Inc. and Jefferson Center for Mental Health are looking for adolescents, ages 12-21, with a significant number of depressive symptoms to participate in a research study to examine the effects of exercise on depression. The official study title is “Depression Outcomes Study of Exercise (DOSE)” or DOSEforTeens.
This study, funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), continues previous work that Dr. Andrea Dunn conducted to examine the impact of exercise as treatment for adult Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Study personnel include Dr. Andrea Dunn and Dr. Donald Bechtold, an adolescent psychiatrist from the Jefferson Center for Mental Health.
The depression study consists of the following:
1. In the initial phase, lasting up to 6-weeks, all eligible depressed adolescents will receive exercise in combination with clinical monitoring of depressive symptoms.
2. All exercise will be supervised by a recreation therapist to ensure participants are performing the required amount of exercise.
3. Exercise will take place at local neighborhood parks in Jefferson County and west Denver.
If an adolescent has the following characteristics, he or she may be eligible to participate in the study:
- Aged 12-21
- Having symptoms of major depression, which include five or more of the following symptoms during the same two-week period, which are a change from previous functioning that may consist of:
- problems sleeping (sleeping too much or too little)
- problems with appetite (eating too much or too little)
- problems with low energy (too much energy or too little)
- problems with low self-esteem or guilt
- loss of pleasure or enjoyment, or loss of interests in activities
- recurrent thoughts of suicide
Participants are not eligible if they:
- are not able to engage in moderate to vigorous intensity exercise
- are currently receiving treatment for depression through psychotherapy or taking more than one antidepressant drug for less than six weeks (excludes stimulant treatment for ADHD)
- have had past or present hypomanic or manic episode(s)
- have active symptoms of psychosis such as hallucinations or delusions
- have significant problems with alcohol or street drug use
- are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Live outside of the Denver metropolitan area
If you are an adolescent, a parent or guardian of an adolescent, or are treating an adolescent who is interested in this study, please contact the Project Coordinator at (303) 565-4321 x3673. There will be rolling admission into the study until November 2012. This study is being funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH R34MH082153).
Contact:
Luis Parra, Project Coordinator
Klein Buendel, Inc.
(303) 565-4321 x3673
info@DOSEforTeens.org
www.DOSEforTeens.org
1667 Cole Blvd., Ste. 225
Golden, CO 80401