CAUSES AND TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS

The Treatment & Etiology of Depression in Youth (TEDY) lab (Director: Christian Webb, Ph.D.) is based in the Center for Depression, Anxiety & Stress Research at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Our research focuses on improving our understanding of the causes of depression in teens and, in particular, improving our treatments for depression.

Current Research

Our lab uses a multimodal approach – including passive sensing from smartphones and wearables, experience sampling, neuroimaging, laboratory-based experiments, and clinical interviewing – integrated with AI and machine learning methods to investigate the etiology and pathophysiology of depression in adolescents, as well as the mechanisms of change in psychotherapeutic and digital interventions for depression. Ongoing studies examine predictors and mechanisms of change in app-based mindfulness training, use AI to detect emotional distress and depression risk from smartphone and wearable data, and develop just-in-time interventions that deliver personalized support during moments of heightened need. We also investigate predictors of depression onset in at-risk youth.

Meet the team

Participate in A Study

We are currently recruiting adolescents ages 12-18 for several studies related to mood and depression. Please click below for more information on ongoing studies.