Family Communication to Enhance Adolescent Depression Recovery-Intervention Development Protocol.

Aim: To develop a structured intervention aimed at enhancing family communication to reduce relapse in adolescents with depression.

Design: This study follows a multi-stage process guided by the Intervention Mapping procedure with the Medical Research Council framework, assessing the layers of complexity. Its design comprises four interrelated stages to construct a family communication intervention, culminating in a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Methods: The program has four stages: (1) Identifying family interaction gaps through literature review and expert input; (2) Investigating communication needs of depressed adolescents and their families via a mixed methods study to develop a model intervention; (3) Refining the intervention with focus groups and expert e-Delphi; and (4) Finalising the intervention based on pilot randomised controlled trial outcomes. The research will be conducted in Greater Accra, Ghana.

Results: The process will result in a family communication intervention tailored to the needs of adolescents with depression and their families. It will be pilot tested, and the results will inform a nationwide efficacy trial.

Conclusion: This research integrates qualitative and quantitative data to inform the development of an evidence-based family communication intervention. The program will carefully examine data integration and contextual challenges encountered during its implementation.

Implications for the profession and/or patient care: The intervention has the potential to enhance family communication, thus playing a crucial role in adolescent depression recovery by reducing relapse rates. Healthcare professionals will benefit from a structured, evidence-based communication tool that can be used in clinical settings.

Impact: The study focuses on improving communication between families of adolescents with depression, aiming to develop a family communication package for clinical and community use. This intervention may enhance recovery outcomes and reduce relapse risk for adolescents.

Reporting method: This study adhered to the GUIDED guideline for reporting intervention development studies.

Patient or public contribution: No Patient or Public Contribution.