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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07605975

Measuring and Enhancing Creativity and Brain Flexibility in Adolescents With Depression

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Depression Symptoms Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression

Age range

12 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 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.

Exclusion criteria

  • any MRI contraindications (e.g., claustrophobia, braces, pregnancy); Note: MRI exclusion is removed for Summer 2023 and 2025 cohorts since the neuroimaging has been removed from the protocol for those cohorts
  • 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
  • history of significant neurological conditions that might confound MRI analyses (e.g., current and severe epilepsy, brain tumor). Note: this exclusion is removed for Summer 2023 and 2025 cohorts since they will not have MRI.

Treatment and study plan

Creativity Camp

Other

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

Primary outcomes

  1. Child Depression Inventory 2 (CDI-2).

    Time frame: Week 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.

Secondary outcomes

  1. The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED)

    Time frame: Month 3

    The SCARED is a 41-item inventory of anxiety symptoms rated on a 3-point Likert-type scale. Higher scores mean higher severity of anxiety.

  2. The Zest for Life Scale (ZLS)

    Time frame: Week 1

    This 12-item questionnaire assesses engagement, enthusiasm, and positive outlook on life in the last week. Each of the 12 items is rated on a 9-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 8 (very strongly). The minimum possible score is 0, and the maximum is 96. Higher scores on the scale indicate a greater zest for life.

  3. The Flourishing Scale

    Time frame: Week 2

    In this 8-item questionnaire, participants rate on a 1-7 scale their agreement with statements regarding perceptions of their life's meaning and purpose, view of self and how they fit into the world. Maximum score is 56. Higher scores mean higher levels of well-being.

  4. The Satisfaction with Life Scale

    Time frame: Week 2

    The Satisfaction with Life Scale assesses overall life satisfaction, with 5 questions on a 1-7 scale. Maximum score is 35. Higher scores mean higher life satisfaction.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Minnesota

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
May 26, 2026
Registry last updated
May 26, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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