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Harnessing Network Science to Personalize Scalable Interventions for Adolescent Depression

Award Number: DP5OD028123
ORGANIZATION: OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NIH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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Harnessing Network Science to Personalize Scalable Interventions for Adolescent Depression - Project Summary/Abstract Major depression (MD) is the leading cause of disability in youth, with a global economic burden of >$210 billion annually. However, up to 70% of youth with MD do not receive services. Even among those who do access treatment, 30-65% fail to respond, demonstrating a need for more potent, accessible interventions. A challenge underlying limited treatment potency is MD's heterogeneity: An MD diagnosis reflects >1400 symptom combinations, creating a need for treatments matched to personal clinical need. Separately, low treatment accessibility stems from the structure of existing interventions. Most span many weeks and are designed for delivery by highly trained clinicians , making them difficult to scale. This proposal aims to address the need for accessible, potent youth MD interventions by integrating methods and findings from previously separate areas: single-session intervention (SSI) research and network science. In a meta-analysis of 50 randomized trials, the investigator has found that SSIs can reduce diverse youth psychiatric problems, including MD. The investigator also found that a web-based SSI teaching growth mindset (the belief that personal traits are malleable) reduced depression and anxiety in high-symptom youth across 9 months. Thus, well-targeted SSIs can yield lasting benefits—but given MD's heterogeneity, there is a need for tools that can match youth to SSIs optimized for personal symptom structures. The proposed project harnesses computational advances from the network approach to psychopathology, which views psychiatric disorders as causal interactions between symptoms, to evaluate such a tool. The first goal is to establish a new method of characterizing MD symptom structures; the second is to test parameters from these structures as predictors of response to two SSIs targeting distinct MD features (behavioral vs. cognitive symptoms). Specifically, Aim 1 is to establish guidelines for computing personalized symptom networks using experience sampling method (ESM) data from youth with MD collected 7x/day for 3 weeks (N=50, ages 11-16; 147 time-points each). This will include a comparison of two leading approaches for computing network parameters, such as outward centrality (the degree to which a symptom prospectively predicts other symptoms). Aim 2 is to test network parameters as SSI outcome predictors among youth with MD (N=180). Youth will be randomized to a behavioral activation (BA) SSI (adapted from evidence-based BA SSIs); the mindset SSI noted above; or a control SSI. Network parameters will be tested as predictors of SSI response. For instance, youth with stronger centrality on a behavioral symptom (e.g. withdrawal from pleasurable activities) may respond more favorably to the BA SSI, and youth with stronger centrality on a cognitive symptom (e.g. hopelessness) to the mindset SSI. Results may identify a novel means of matching youth to targeted MD SSIs by personal need. The project will also include the first RCT comparing two youth MD SSIs, with the longest follow-up of any SSI trial to date (2 years), gauging their relative promise to reduce youth MD.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2023	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK ST	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	5	9/17/2025	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2025	2023	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK ST	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	5	9/17/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2023	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK ST	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	005	5	5/22/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$582,830
2024	2023	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK ST	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	5	11/3/2023	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2024	2023	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK ST	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	5	11/3/2023	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2024	2022	THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	W5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	004	4	5/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$402,785
2024	2021	THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	W5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	002	3	5/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$152,762
2024	2021	THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	W5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	003	3	5/22/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	-$27,282
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $683,584 )
2023	2023	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK ST	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	5	8/23/2023	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$400,000
2023	2023	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK ST	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	002	5	9/14/2023	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$283,584
2023	2022	THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK	W5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	4	8/22/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $683,584

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $402,785 )
2022	2022	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	4	8/17/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$402,785
														Subtotal = $402,785

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $474,720 )
2021	2021	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	002	3	8/23/2021	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$71,935
2021	2021	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	3	8/20/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$402,785
2021	2020	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	2	3/15/2021	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
														Subtotal = $474,720

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $867,533 )
2020	2020	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	002	2	9/16/2020	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$392,813
2020	2020	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	2	9/15/2020	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$71,935
2020	2020	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	003	2	9/24/2020	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2020	2020	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	2	7/28/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$402,785
														Subtotal = $867,533

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $402,785 )
2019	2019	RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE	WEST 5510 FRANKS MELVILLE MEMORIAL LIBRARY	STONY BROOK	NY	11794	SUFFOLK	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	1	9/16/2019	NEW	$402,785
														Subtotal = $402,785

Grand Total All Awards = $2,831,407

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Harnessing Network Science to Personalize Scalable Interventions for Adolescent Depression

Award Number: DP5OD028123

ORGANIZATION: OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NIH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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