BACKGROUND Youth depression is highly prevalent and is related to impairments in academic, social and behavioural functioning. Evidence-based treatments are available, but many young people do not respond or sufficiently recover with first-line options, and a significant proportion experience relapse. Consequently, there is clear scope to enhance intervention in this critical period of early-onset depression. Memory specificity training (MeST) is a low-intensity intervention for depression that targets reduced specificity when recalling memories of the past, a common cognitive vulnerability in depression. This randomised controlled trial will assess the efficacy of adding a computerised version of MeST (c-MeST) to usual care for youth depression. METHODS/DESIGN Young people aged 15-25 years with a major depressive episode (MDE) will be recruited and randomised to have immediate access to the seven session online c-MeST program in addition to usual care, or to usual care and wait-list for c-MeST. The primary outcomes will be diagnostic status of an MDE and self-reported depressive symptoms assessed at baseline, 1-, 3- and 6-month intervals. Autobiographical memory specificity and other variables thought to contribute to the maintenance of reduced memory specificity and depression will be assessed as mediators of change. DISCUSSION Online provision of c-MeST provides a simple, low-intensity option for targeting a cognitive vulnerability that predicts the persistence of depressive symptoms. If found to be efficacious as an adjunct to usual care for depressed youth, it could be suitable for broader roll-out, as c-MeST is highly accessible and implementation requires only minimal resources due to the online and automated nature of intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12619000234112p. Registered on the 18 February 2019. All items from the WHO Trial Registration Data Set can be found within the protocol. PROTOCOL VERSION 1.0.

中文翻译：

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一项针对青少年重度抑郁症的辅助计算机化记忆特异性训练 (c-MeST) 随机试验的研究方案：针对认知机制以提高心理健康环境中的常规护理结果。

背景 青少年抑郁症非常普遍，并且与学业、社会和行为功能受损有关。可以使用循证治疗，但许多年轻人对一线治疗没有反应或没有充分恢复，并且很大一部分人会复发。因此，在这个早发性抑郁症的关键时期加强干预有明显的余地。记忆特异性训练 (MeST) 是一种针对抑郁症的低强度干预，其目标是在回忆过去的记忆时降低特异性，这是抑郁症中常见的认知脆弱性。这项随机对照试验将评估将计算机化版本的 MeST (c-MeST) 添加到青少年抑郁症的常规护理中的效果。方法/设计 将招募 15-25 岁患有重度抑郁发作 (MDE) 的年轻人，并随机安排他们在常规护理或常规护理和候补名单之外立即参加七次在线 c-MeST 计划对于 c-MeST。主要结果将是 MDE 的诊断状态和在基线、1、3 和 6 个月间隔评估的自我报告的抑郁症状。自传体记忆特异性和其他被认为有助于维持降低的记忆特异性和抑郁的变量将被评估为变化的介质。讨论 c-MeST 的在线提供提供了一种简单、低强度的选择，用于针对预测抑郁症状持续存在的认知脆弱性。如果发现作为对抑郁青年的常规护理的辅助手段是有效的，它可能适用于更广泛的推广，因为 c-MeST 易于访问，并且由于干预的在线和自动化性质，实施只需要最少的资源。试验注册澳大利亚新西兰临床试验注册处，ACTRN12619000234112p。于 2019 年 2 月 18 日注册。WHO 试验注册数据集中的所有项目都可以在协议中找到。协议版本 1.0。