Friday, January 9, 2015

Family-Based Interpersonal Therapy Found Effective for Child Depression


Family-based interpersonal psychotherapy appears to be an effective treatment for preadolescent depression and proved superior to child-centered therapy, according to a report 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."

(Lisa F. Young/shutterstock.com)