The feasibility of low-intensity psychological therapy for depression co-occurring with autism in adults: The Autism Depression Trial (ADEPT) - a pilot randomised controlled trial.

This was a feasibility pilot, not designed to test effectiveness, and it was not powered to detect differences between treatment groups. No primary outcome measure was specified, because the study aimed to identify the best depression measure for a larger trial. Attrition was higher in treatment as usual, with 6 of 35 withdrawing from the trial and 54% completing 16-week measures, so the comparison is limited. The sample had relatively severe and persistent depression: mean PHQ-9 score 15.8, and 55% met criteria for a moderate or severe depressive episode; the authors question whether low-intensity intervention is appropriate for this severity. The observer-rated depression interview was not reliable enough when different researchers scored it at the end of the study, so the authors could not compare which self-report depression measure was best. The nested qualitative study was not reported here, so participant experience is not summarised.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme and supported by the NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre. It was designed and delivered in collaboration with the Bristol Randomised Trials Collaboration, a clinical trials unit in receipt of NIHR support.

Do not read high engagement and feasibility as proof that guided self-help treats depression in autistic adults. This pilot was not powered to detect differences between groups, and no primary outcome measure was specified.