Factors associated with recruitment and screening in the Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study (TADS).
OBJECTIVE
To examine factors associated with eligibility and randomization and consider the efficiency of recruitment methods.


METHODS
Adolescents, ages 12 to 17 years, were telephone screened (N = 2,804) followed by in-person evaluation (N = 1,088) for the Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study. Separate logistic regression models, controlling for site, examined whether sex, age, race, or source of recruitment was associated with eligibility, providing written consent, or randomization. Efficiency was calculated from the number of completed telephone screens per each enrolled participant.


RESULTS
Older adolescents were less likely to be eligible at telephone screening (odds ratio [OR] 0.81). Regardless of race, eligible adolescents who were referred by a professional had higher odds of presenting in-person for consent (OR 1.56). African Americans had statistically lower odds of providing consent (OR 0.67), particularly if recruited by advertisement (OR 0.54). Females were more likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder (OR 1.69). No significant differences were found between randomized participants and eligible adolescents who withdrew from the study before randomization.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings underscore the importance of using multiple strategies to recruit adolescents for clinical trial participation and enhancing sensitivity to cultural variations, especially when reaching out to depressed African Americans.
May
Diane E
DE
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5581, USA. dmay@unmc.edu
Hallin
Mary J
MJ
Kratochvil
Christopher J
CJ
Puumala
Susan E
SE
Smith
Lynette S
LS
Reinecke
Mark A
MA
Silva
Susan G
SG
Weller
Elizabeth B
EB
Vitiello
Benedetto
B
Breland-Noble
Alfiee
A
March
John S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018579:Patient Selection; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design