The goal of this project is to better understand the brains of depressed children as well as the role that the parent-child relationship in brain development. This study is conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston University (BU).
What is my commitment?
Parent and child will visit BU for an evaluation interview lasting approximately 3 hours. Within a week, the pair will then come to the Athinoula A. Martinos Imaging Center at MIT for brain imaging, where they will perform tasks while inside of an MRI machine. Depressed children and their parent will then attend 12 free family-focused treatment sessions at BU with a specialized therapist. All pairs will then repeat the initial interview and MRI scan, approximately 12 weeks later.
Participation: We are recruiting children and one of their parents to participate in our research. Children must be aged 7 – 12 years old and either experience depression or be free of diagnoses. Parents must be biologically related and living with the child for most of their life. Both parent and child must be able to have an MRI scan.
Compensation
Families will receive $600 for full completion of the study. Children and parents will also leave each MRI session with pictures of their brains! Depressed children and their parents will be provided 12 treatment sessions at no cost.
