Who can participate in the study?

Eligible youth (13-18 years) experiencing depression and their caregivers.
*Caregiver participation will be contingent on the youth's permission and is entirely independent from theirs.

How long will i be in the study?

Both youth and caregivers will be involved in the study for 52 weeks from the date they were enrolled.

​While we appreciate the full 52-week commitment, note that participation is completely voluntary. You may withdraw your consent and stop your participation in the study at any time, which will have no impact on the youth's treatment.

What will i be doing in the study?

There are four main components:

1. Attending virtual assessments
2. Completing self-report surveys 
3. Participating in treatment​
4. Invited to engage in an optional focus group

* Note that self-report surveys and assessments will be completed at your initial meeting, as well as the 4-, 12-, 24-, 36- and 52-week follow-up timepoints. An extra self-report survey will be completed at the 2-week follow-up.

How Long will self-report surveys and assessments take?

Participation Timeline

where will i complete ASSESSMENTS, SELF-REPORT SURVEYS, treatment, AND THE FOCUS GROUP?

You will complete: 

• Assessments virtually via Webex
• Self-report surveys via a secure link emailed to you 
• ​Treatment at your site either in-person or virtually 
• Focus group (optional) virtually via Webex

what ARE THE BENEFITS and potential risks OF PARTICIPATING IN THE study?

Benefits: You will provide a valuable perspective as someone with lived experience, which will help shape future services offered to young people and their families. 

Risks: You may feel uncomfortable while completing the assessments, self-report surveys, and/or treatment as the questions asked may be personal (as they pertain to the youth's life, health, and behaviours). However, you have full autonomy over the information you’d like to share, meaning you can skip any question you don’t want to answer without having to give a reason why. In addition, there will always be available supports that you can access. 

HOW WILL I BE COMPENSATED FOR MY PARTICIPATION?

You will receive:

• A total of $50 in e-gift cards after completing the initial assessment and self-report surveys
• $25 in e-gift cards after completing the assessment and self-report surveys at each follow-up timepoint (except at 52 weeks)
• A total of $50 in e-gift cards after completing the 52-week follow-up assessment and self-report surveys

This means you can earn up to $200 in e-gift cards if every component is completed.
​Additionally, you can opt to receive volunteer hours for school on top of the e-gift cards.

WILL MY INFORMATION BE KEPT PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL?

All collected information about you and your health will be handled in a confidential manner. The study data will be de-identified by removing personal details like your name and address, so nothing will be linked to you when the results are published. This data may be shared and used by other teams for different studies. You also have the right to be informed of the findings once the study is completed. ​

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT MAY NOT BE KEPT PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL?

Two circumstances where we may need to break confidentiality are:

1. A serious possibility that you may harm yourself or others
2. If you tell us someone under the age of 16 has experienced or is experiencing abuse, harm, or neglect

If any of these come up, then we are required to report it and let someone know by law, for your safety and wellbeing.

I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS. WHO DO I CONTACT? ​

You can contact us via email at [email protected] ​