NCT07749521Recruiting
Optimizing Treatment for Depressed Parents of Children With Emotional and Behavioural Problems
Optimizing Treatment for Depressed Parents of Children With Emotional and Behavioural Problems (OPTED): A Randomized and Controlled Trial
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 6 Aug 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Standard Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) is often less effective for parents experiencing depression. As such, the Addressing Depression and Positive Parenting Techniques (ADAPT) intervention is a novel BPT tailored to address the unique emotional and cognitive needs of depressed parents to improve treatment outcomes. The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of ADAPT in reducing child emotional and behavioral difficulties compared to the gold-standard Incredible Years Parenting Program (IYPP). This study is a 4-year, individually-randomized group treatment (IRGT), parallel-group trial. We aim to recruit 180 caregivers and their children (aged 6-11 years) seeking treatment for their child's emotional and behavioral difficulties from multiple mental health centres across Toronto, including but not limited to the University of Toronto, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and Women's College Hospital (WCH). Participants will be asked to complete research measures: * before randomization * post-treatment * 6 months after the end of treatment Participants will be randomized to either the experimental ADAPT intervention - A 10-session virtual program (1 individual, 9 group) focused on emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and cognitive restructuring, or the control intervention: Incredible Years Parent Program (IYPP) - A 12-session gold-standard BPT delivered virtually.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 180 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 8 Jun 2026
- Start date
- Aug 2026
- Primary completion date
- Aug 2030
- Lead sponsor
- University of Toronto
- Diseases
- Depression
- NCT number
- NCT07749521
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 180
- From Aug 2026 to the primary completion date, Aug 2030
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- child previously diagnosed with autism or an intellectual disability
Other illness
- Parent shows active suicidal ideation, substance use disorder, or psychosis
Other
- they cannot communicate in English
Who the study is looking for
- 18 years of age or above
- has a child aged 6-11 years with clinically elevated emotional and behavioural disorders (Abnormal Range, 93rd percentile) on the Total Difficulties Scale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
- parent shows clinical elevations for mild-moderate depression on the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) (\>4 and \<15)
- capacity to tolerate a virtual group context assessed by clinical interview
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Toronto | Canada | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.