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Peer-reviewedCC BYBMC pediatrics

Bouldering-Psychotherapy for treating depression in adolescents (BooSt): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

  • Katharina Luttenberger1,2
  • Carolin Donath1
  • Lola Eversmann1
  • Katharina Louisa Göttlicher3
  • Julia-Sophia Scheuermann1
  • Luisa Leonie Brokmeier1
  • Anne Radegast2
  • Pia Scheufele4
  • Piotr Lewczuk5,6
  • Vera Kiesel1
  • Romi Kuntscher1
  • Sebastian Meyer7
4 more authors
  • Mark Hulm8
  • Larissa Schwarzkopf8,9
  • Anna Eichler3
  • Oliver Kratz3
9 affiliations
  1. 1Section of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
  2. 2Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University for Continuing Education (UWK), Krems, Austria.
  3. 3Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
  4. 4Section of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany. [email protected].
  5. 5Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
  6. 6Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, University Hospital Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
  7. 7Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMBE), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
  8. 8Center for Mental Health and Addiction Research, Institut für Therapieforschung (IFT), Munich, Germany.
  9. 9Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
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Abstract

Background

Currently, there are hardly any validated group therapy programs for depressed adolescents in Germany. A recent meta-analysis confirmed a moderate antidepressant effect of exercise in adolescents with depressive symptoms. In addition, four recent systematic reviews reported positive effects of exercise interventions on psychological well-being, mood, and quality of life in adolescents with depression or depressive symptoms. We developed a manualized behavioral-therapy-based group program involving Bouldering-Psychotherapy (BPT) for adolescents (BPT-J) based on the adult version of BPT, which has already demonstrated its efficacy. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of BPT-J.Methods

The study is designed as a randomized, controlled, prospective, longitudinal, single-blind trial with two arms (BPT-J intervention group [IG], waitlist-control group [CG]). The primary aim is to investigate the efficacy of the BPT-J group therapy for adolescents for treating depressiveness. Eligible participants are adolescents with subclinical and clinical depressive symptoms between 13 and 18 years of age. The adolescents in the CG are offered participation in an identical intervention after t1. The 10-week intervention is accompanied by four data collection points for all participants: participants and their legal guardians fill out online questionnaires at the start of therapy (t0), immediately after IG therapy (t1), after CG therapy (t2), and 12 months after finalizing the intervention (follow-up, t3). In addition, structured video interviews are conducted at t0 and t1.Discussion

BooSt trial addresses the limited availability of evidence-based group interventions for adolescents with depressive symptoms in routine care. If efficacy is confirmed, BPT-J may represent a scalable, manualized, and potentially well-accepted treatment approach that could complement existing psychotherapeutic services for adolescents. Given the increasing demand and limited access to psychotherapy, the intervention may contribute to improving accessibility of mental health care. The group-based format may additionally support cost-effective implementation, reduce waiting times, facilitate peer support, and help reduce stigmatization associated with mental health treatment. Findings from the BooSt trial may further inform dissemination and implementation strategies in child and adolescent mental health care.Trial registration

ISRCTN, ISRCTN79659949, prospectively registered 19/02/2025, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN79659949 , URL: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN79659949 .

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{luttenberger2026boulderingpsychotherapy,
  title = {{Bouldering-Psychotherapy for treating depression in adolescents (BooSt): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.}},
  author = {Katharina Luttenberger and Carolin Donath and Lola Eversmann and Katharina Louisa Göttlicher and Julia-Sophia Scheuermann and Luisa Leonie Brokmeier and Anne Radegast and Pia Scheufele and Piotr Lewczuk and Vera Kiesel and Romi Kuntscher and Sebastian Meyer and Mark Hulm and Larissa Schwarzkopf and Anna Eichler and Oliver Kratz},
  journal = {BMC pediatrics},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1186/s12887-026-07935-8},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958108},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Bouldering-Psychotherapy for treating depression in adolescents (BooSt): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
AU  - Katharina Luttenberger
AU  - Carolin Donath
AU  - Lola Eversmann
AU  - Katharina Louisa Göttlicher
AU  - Julia-Sophia Scheuermann
AU  - Luisa Leonie Brokmeier
AU  - Anne Radegast
AU  - Pia Scheufele
AU  - Piotr Lewczuk
AU  - Vera Kiesel
AU  - Romi Kuntscher
AU  - Sebastian Meyer
AU  - Mark Hulm
AU  - Larissa Schwarzkopf
AU  - Anna Eichler
AU  - Oliver Kratz
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/28
JO  - BMC pediatrics
DO  - 10.1186/s12887-026-07935-8
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958108
AB  - Background  Currently, there are hardly any validated group therapy programs for depressed adolescents in Germany. A recent meta-analysis confirmed a moderate antidepressant effect of exercise in adolescents with depressive symptoms. In addition, four recent systematic reviews reported positive effects of exercise interventions on psychological well-being, mood, and quality of life in adolescents with depression or depressive symptoms. We developed a manualized behavioral-therapy-based group program involving Bouldering-Psychotherapy (BPT) for adolescents (BPT-J) based on the adult version of BPT, which has already demonstrated its efficacy. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of BPT-J.Methods  The study is designed as a randomized, controlled, prospective, longitudinal, single-blind trial with two arms (BPT-J intervention group [IG], waitlist-control group [CG]). The primary aim is to investigate the efficacy of the BPT-J group therapy for adolescents for treating depressiveness. Eligible participants are adolescents with subclinical and clinical depressive symptoms between 13 and 18 years of age. The adolescents in the CG are offered participation in an identical intervention after t1. The 10-week intervention is accompanied by four data collection points for all participants: participants and their legal guardians fill out online questionnaires at the start of therapy (t0), immediately after IG therapy (t1), after CG therapy (t2), and 12 months after finalizing the intervention (follow-up, t3). In addition, structured video interviews are conducted at t0 and t1.Discussion  BooSt trial addresses the limited availability of evidence-based group interventions for adolescents with depressive symptoms in routine care. If efficacy is confirmed, BPT-J may represent a scalable, manualized, and potentially well-accepted treatment approach that could complement existing psychotherapeutic services for adolescents. Given the increasing demand and limited access to psychotherapy, the intervention may contribute to improving accessibility of mental health care. The group-based format may additionally support cost-effective implementation, reduce waiting times, facilitate peer support, and help reduce stigmatization associated with mental health treatment. Findings from the BooSt trial may further inform dissemination and implementation strategies in child and adolescent mental health care.Trial registration  ISRCTN, ISRCTN79659949, prospectively registered 19/02/2025, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN79659949 , URL: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN79659949 .
SN  - 1471-2431
ER  -