Group Depression Treatment for Autistic Youth

The autism-adapted Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was designed by the PI and research team in collaboration with autistic stakeholders (i.e., adults, parents, researchers). It is a 12-week group intervention (90 min) delivered on a weekly basis in an outpatient psychiatry clinic by licensed clinical psychologists and psychology trainees. Each group is comprised of 8-9 autistic adolescents (11-17 years old; middle and high school) with depression. The intervention targets adolescents' perception and understanding of self, including autistic identity, through a series of cognitive-behavioral approaches including psychoeducation, emotion regulation, cognitive distortions, cognitive restructuring, behavioral rehearsals, and weekly homework assignments.