Hughes, C., Preskorn, S. H., Weller, E. B., Weller, R. A., Hassanein, R., Tucker, S.

The effect of concommitant disorders in childhood depression on predicting treatment responses

Children with pure depression or depression plus an anxiety-related disorder (n = 14) had a higher drug response rate (57%) and a lower placebo response rate (20%) when compared to children with depression plus a concomitant conduct or oppositional disorder (n = 17) (33% drug response rate and 67% placebo response rate). These findings could explain why studies of prepubertal-onset depression found no differences between drug and placebo treatment assuming that a large percentage of the studies' subjects had concomitant conduct or oppositional disorders. The children with pure depression or depression plus an anxiety-related disorder had different symptom clusters from those with depression plus a concomitant conduct or oppositional disorder. The former had more severe CDRS ratings on sleep, appetite disturbance, depressed feelings, and psychomotor retardation. In contrast, those with a concomitant conduct or oppositional disorder had shorter attention spans and were more likely to disturb other children (based on Conners scale scores).

Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 26(2) : 235-238

Liddle, Barbara, Spence, Susan H.

Cognitive-behaviour therapy with depressed primary school children: A cautionary note

Examined the effectiveness of an 8-wk treatment package designed to tackle the major correlates of child depression, namely social skills deficit. 31 children (aged 7-12 yrs) were selected on the basis of depressive symptomatology over 2 wks, as assessed by self-report questionnaires (e.g., Children's Depression Inventory) and a diagnostic interview. Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: social competence training, attention placebo control, and no treatment control. Results indicate a decline in depression scores during the treatment period for Ss in all conditions, and this continued during the 2-mo follow-up period to within the normal range. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

Behavioural Psychotherapy, 18(2) : 85-102

Lewinsohn, P. M., Clarke, G. N., Hops, H., Andrews, J.

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for depressed adolescents

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of two versions of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for depressed adolescents. Fifty-nine high school students, aged 14-18, meeting DSM-III and RDC criteria for a diagnosis of depression were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Adolescent-and-Parent, Adolescent-Only, and Wait-List. The treatments were: a) an adaptation of the Coping with Depression Course (CWD), a cognitive-behavioral group intervention teaching skills for increasing pleasant activities, relaxation, controlling depressive thoughts, improving social interaction, and communication, negotiation and conflict resolution skills; and b) an intervention for the parents. The results showed that, compared to the wait-list subjects, treated subjects improved significantly on the depression measures. These gains were maintained at two years posttreatment. There was a strong trend for the results to favor the Adolescent-and-Parent condition over the Adolescent-Only condition, but only one of numerous comparisons attained statistical significance.

Behavior Therapy., 21(385-401) :

Simeon, J. G., Dinicola, V. F., Ferguson, H. B., Copping, W.

Adolescent depression: a placebo-controlled fluoxetine treatment study and follow-up

Forty patients aged 13 to 18 years participated in a placebo-controlled double-blind study of fluoxetine. Fifteen subjects in each group completed the eight week study. Approximately two-thirds of the patients showed marked or moderate clinical global improvement with both fluoxetine and placebo. Fluoxetine was superior to placebo on all clinical measures except for sleep disorder, but the differences were not statistically significant. Thirty-two of the patients and their parents were interviewed after a mean follow-up interval of 24 months (range: 8-46 months). Mean age at follow-up was 18 years (range: 15-22 years). Both groups had shown further improvement at follow-up but there were no significant group differences. Independent of the study, 19 patients (59%) had received intervening treatment following study termination and nine patients (28%) were still in treatment. Adolescent depression appears to respond to treatment but both mood disturbance and psychosocial adaptation problems persist, requiring active follow-through.

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 14(5) : 791- 5

Geller, B., Cooper, T. B., McCombs, H. G., Graham, D., Wells, J.

Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of nortriptyline in depressed children using a \"fixed plasma level\" design

Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 25(1) : 101- 8

Gwynn, C., Brantley, H.

Effects of a divorce group intervention for elementary school children

Investigated the effectiveness of a primary prevention educational support group for children of divorce. Experimental subjects, children aged 9-11, participated in eight weekly group sessions while their yoked controls attended regular classes. The group interventions resulted in significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and negative feelings about divorce, and a significant increase on divorce information.

Psychology in the Schools, 24 : 161- 164

Sonis, W. A., Yellin, A. M., Garfinkel, B. D., Hoberman, H. H.

The antidepressant effect of light in seasonal affective disorder of childhood and adolescence

Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 23(3) : 360- 3

Stark, K. D., Reynolds, W. M., Kaslow, N. J.

A comparison of the relative efficacy of self-control therapy and a behavioral problem-solving therapy for depression in children

Twenty-nine children 9 to 12 years old who were identified as moderately to severely depressed using the Children's Depression Inventory were randomly assigned to either a self-control, behavioral problem-solving, or waiting list condition. The self-control treatment focused on teaching children self-management skills. The behavioral problem-solving therapy consisted of education, self-monitoring of pleasant events, and group problem solving directed toward improving social behavior. Subjects were assessed pre- and posttreatment and at 8-week follow-up with multiple assessment procedures and from multiple perspectives. At posttreatment, subjects in both active treatments reported significant improvement on self-report and interview measures of depression while subjects in the waiting list condition reported minimal change. Results were maintained at follow-up. The general success of the experimental treatments was discussed and recommendations for further treatment components were provided.

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 15(1) : 91- 113

Puig-Antich, Joaquim, Perel, James M., Lupatkin, William, Chambers, William J., et al.,

Imipramine in prepubertal major depressive disorders

Two research designs were combined and applied concurrently, using a total of 53 prepubertal children with major depressive disorder: (1) a 5-wk, double-blind, placebo-controlled imipramine (mean dose 136.8 mg/kg/day) trial and (2) a study of the relationship between maintenance plasma levels of imipramine and desipramine and clinical response at 5 wks in Ss randomly assigned to the drug. Results do not support the effectiveness of the drug in this disorder. Based on findings from the 2nd protocol, it is suggested that prepubertal major depressive children are more likely to respond the higher their plasma concentration of imipramine and desipramine and the lower the severity of their depressive symptomatology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

Archives of General Psychiatry, 44(1) : 81-89

Reynolds, W. M., Coats, K. I.

A comparison of cognitive-behavioral therapy and relaxation training for the treatment of depression in adolescents

This investigation examined the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy and relaxation training for\rthe treatment of depression in adolescents. Thirty moderately depressed adolescents were randomly\rassigned to either cognitive-behavioral treatment, relaxation training, or a wait-list control condition.\rTreatment subjects met in small groups for ten 50-min sessions over 5 weeks in a high school\rsetting. Outcome measures included self-report and clinical interviews for depression as well as\rmeasures of self-esteem and anxiety. The cognitive-behavioral and relaxation training groups were\rsuperior to the wait-list control group in the reduction of depressive symptoms at both posttest and\r5-week follow-up assessments. There was no significant difference between active treatments in their\reffectiveness for reducing adolescents' depression. Subjects in the cognitive-behavioral and relaxation\rtraining conditions went from moderate levels of depression at pretest to nondepressed levels\rat posttest, and they maintained these levels at follow-up. Improvements in anxiety and academic\rself-concept were also demonstrated by the active treatments. The findings demonstrate that these\rshort-term group-administered therapies are effective in significantly decreasing depression in adolescents.

Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 54(5) : 653- 60

McCann, I. L., Holmes, D. S.

Influence of aerobic exercise on depression

Forty-three depressed women were randomly assigned to either (a) an aerobic exercise treatment condition in which they participated in strenuous exercise, (b) a placebo treatment condition in which they practiced relaxation exercises, or (c) a no-treatment condition. Aerobic capacity was assessed before and after the 10-week treatment period. Self-reported depression was assessed before, during, and after the treatment period. The results indicated that subjects in the aerobic exercise condition evidenced reliably greater improvements in aerobic capacity than did the subjects in either of the other conditions (p less than .002 in both cases) and that the subjects in the aerobic exercise condition evidenced reliably greater decreases in depression than did subjects in the placebo condition (p = .05) or subjects in the no-treatment condition (p = .001). These results provide the first controlled evidence concerning the effects of strenuous exercise on depression.

Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 46(5) : 1142-7

Kashani, Javad H., Shekim, Walid O., Reid, John C.

Amitriptyline in children with major depressive disorder: A double-blind crossover pilot study

Studied the effects of amitriptyline (AMT) vs placebo in 9 9 -12 yr old psychiatric inpatients diagnosed as having major depressive disorder using DSM-III and Bellevue Index of Depression (BID) criteria. Ss were randomly assigned to AMT (1-2.5 mg/kg/day) or placebo groups for 4 wks; for the next 4 wks the treatments were reversed. Laboratory tests, the DSM-III, and the BID were completed at baseline and during each of the AMT and placebo periods. Overall clinical evaluation revealed a favorable response to AMT in 6 Ss, in whom dysphoric mood either disappeared or was greatly improved. In these Ss, there was also a substantial increase in their overall level of interest. In 1 S, there was no response to either AMT or placebo; 2 Ss responded to placebo only. It is concluded that AMT may have a useful place in the treatment of childhood depression. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 23(3) : 348- 351