Please join this Delphi Study to develop a Core Outcome Set for future adolescent depression research studies
We are excited to extend this invitation to you to participate in the development of a Core Outcome Set (COS) for use in future clinical trials assessing treatments for depression or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adolescents 12 to 18 years of age. Our project, known as theInternational Network for Research Outcomes in Adolescent Depression Studies (IN-ROADS) Initiative, is funded by the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
Background:
Which outcomes we measure matters! A recent review of adolescent depression (or MDD) clinical trials conducted by our group highlighted the significant variability in the outcomes measured across clinical trials to date. Specifically, we found 86 outcomes measured across 32 trials using 118 different outcome measurement instruments. Such heterogeneity in outcomes and how they are measured across trials impacts the synthesis of evidence as it restricts the comparisons of trial results.
A Core Outcome Set (COS) is an agreed upon, standardized minimum set of outcomes that should be measured and reported in all trials. In other areas of medicine, development of a COS has allowed for increased consistency of outcomes measured across trials thereby allowing for comparison of trial results and ultimately a better understanding of which treatments work best.
The IN-ROADS Initiative is conducting a Delphi study to gather opinions from a diverse range of stakeholders through structured rounds of surveys. The Delphi study will be used to develop a COS for use in adolescent depression clinical trials.
What are we asking your help with?
We invite you to participate in the IN-ROADS Delphi study and provide your opinion on what outcomes are important to measure in future research studies for depression in adolescents. There will be two to three rounds of the Delphi Study which will take place between October 2022 and January 2023.
We also would like you to forward this invitation to any individuals, groups, networks, or organizations you believe may be interested in participating in the IN-ROADS Delphi study.
To participate in the Delphi Study:
Please register for the Delphi Study by completing a brief (3-5 minute) survey at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/mr3deb5n
Once you have registered, you will receive access to the Delphi Round 1 survey which will be open until November 6th, 2022.
The survey will take you 30 to 60 minutes to complete. Once you complete registration for the Delphi study, you can always return to the survey round using the link provided.
Why should you participate?
Outcomes matter and we need your voice! We are invested in obtaining opinions on what outcomes should be measured in future trials from important stakeholder groups, including youth and caregivers with lived experience; clinicians and researchers working with youth with depression; trialists; methodologists; core outcome set developers; funders; regulators; journal editors; individuals involved with research ethics boards, etc.
For more information on the IN-ROADS Initiative please visit our website: https://www.in-roads.org. Feel free to follow our progress on Twitter: @inroadscos.
