---
title: "Psych News Alert: Family-Based Interpersonal Therapy Found Effective for Child Depression"
description: Family-based interpersonal psychotherapy appears to be an effective treatment for preadolescent depression and proved superior to child-c...
---

[Psych News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org)

# [Psych News Alert: Family-Based Interpersonal Therapy Found Effective for Child Depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/01/family-based-interpersonal-therapy.html)

 Written by [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) | 1/9/15 5:00 AM

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Family-based interpersonal psychotherapy appears to be an effective treatment for preadolescent depression and proved superior to child-centered therapy, according to a [report](http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567(14)00890-9/abstract) published online in the *Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry*.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) randomly assigned 42 preadolescents with depression family-based interpersonal psychotherapy (FB-IPT) or to child-centered therapy (CCT). Depressive symptoms in children were measured by the Children’s Depression Rating Scale, Revised, and the Mood Feeling Questionnaire, Child and Parent Versions.

Preadolescents receiving FB-IPT had higher rates of remission (66.0 percent vs. 31 percent), a greater decrease in depressive symptoms from pre- to post-treatment, and lower depressive symptoms at post-treatment than did preadolescents with depression receiving CCT. Children receiving FB-IPT also reported significant reductions in anxiety and interpersonal impairment than did preadolescents in the CCT condition. There was a significant indirect effect for decreased social impairment accounting for the association between the FB-IPT and preadolescents’ post-treatment depressive symptoms.

“These findings provide strong support for FB-IPT as an effective treatment for preadolescent depression with medium to larger effect sizes,” the researchers stated. “There was a significant indirect effect for decreased social impairment mediating the association between the FB-IPT and preadolescents’ post-treatment depressive symptoms. This may suggest that reducing social impairment is one mechanism by which FB-IPT may decrease preadolescents’ depressive symptoms.”

For related news, see the *Psychiatric News* article "[Family Intervention Benefits Children of Depressed Parents](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/pn.45.1.psychnews_45_1_022)."

(Lisa F. Young/shutterstock.com)

[View full post](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/01/family-based-interpersonal-therapy.html)

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