Abstract
This article presents primary outcomes from the Community Study of Outcome Monitoring for Emotional Disorders in Teens, a two-site, randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of the
plus measurement-based care (UP-A), measurement-based care alone (TAU+), and treatment as usual (TAU) in community mental health clinics.
A total of 174 clinicians were randomized to implement TAU (
= 49), TAU plus an MBC measure (TAU+;
= 63), or UP-A plus MBC (UP-A;
= 62). In addition, 196 adolescents were randomized to receive 16 weeks of either TAU (
= 68), TAU+ (
= 60), or UP-A (
= 68). Independent evaluator-, self-, and caregiver-reported adolescent anxiety and depression symptoms were measured at baseline and Weeks 8, 16, and 28 postenrollment.
Adolescents in all groups showed improvement over time, and compared with TAU, adolescents receiving TAU+ and UP-A conditions improved more quickly on adolescent-report measures only. There were no treatment group differences observed on independent evaluator (primary outcome) or caregiver-report measures. In post hoc analyses, moderators of treatment response included treatment duration and complexity of symptom presentation.
In one of the largest adolescent-focused, community-located psychotherapy trials conducted in the United States, transdiagnostic treatment plus measurement-based care and measurement-based care alone conferred some adolescent-reported symptom benefits compared with treatment as usual, although adolescents in all conditions exhibited improvements in anxiety and depression. Future directions for subsequent adolescent psychotherapy effectiveness trials for anxiety and depression are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).