title: "Mama just won't accept this": adult perspectives on engaging depressed African American teens in clinical research and treatment.
abstract: This manuscript focuses on qualitative data collected for AAKOMA Project, a 2-phase treatment engagement intervention trial for depressed African American adolescents and families. Data are presented from our phase I study of adult perspectives on African American adolescent depression, depression treatment, and research engagement. The research team conducted four focus groups (N = 24) and generated major themes from the data including ideas regarding the manifestations of depression in African American youth and psychosocial barriers to participation in depression research and treatment. Findings indicate that success in recruiting and retaining African American youth in depression research and treatment may include using innovative means to overcome the culturally embedded attributions of depression to non-biological causes, beliefs about the cultural insensitivity of treatments and challenges in the logistics of obtaining care. Adults report that encouraging youth and familial involvement in treatments and research should include targeted, community-partnered activities involving diverse staff in leadership roles and including community members as equal partners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA, Alfiee.brelandnoble@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Alfiee M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Breland-Noble
authors.forename: Carl C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Antoinette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burriss
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001294:Attitude to Health; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054521:Cultural Competency / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018579:Patient Selection; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult