Bowden, D., Goddard, L., Gruzelier, J.

A randomised controlled single-blind trial of the efficacy of Reiki at benefitting mood and well-being

This is a constructive replication of a previous trial conducted by Bowden et al. (2010), where students who had received Reiki demonstrated greater health and mood benefits than those who received no Reiki. The current study examined impact on anxiety/depression. 40 university studentshalf with high depression and/or anxiety and half with low depression and/or anxietywere randomly assigned to receive Reiki or to a non-Reiki control group. Participants experienced six 30-minute sessions over a period of two to eight weeks, where they were blind to whether noncontact Reiki was administered as their attention was absorbed in a guided relaxation. The efficacy of the intervention was assessed pre-post intervention and at five-week follow-up by self-report measures of mood, illness symptoms, and sleep. The participants with high anxiety and/or depression who received Reiki showed a progressive improvement in overall mood, which was significantly better at five-week follow-up, while no change was seen in the controls. While the Reiki group did not demonstrate the comparatively greater reduction in symptoms of illness seen in our earlier study, the findings of both studies suggest that Reiki may benefit mood. Copyright (copyright) 2011 Deborah Bowden et al.

Evidence-based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 2011 :

Buhler, A., Kotter, C., Jaursch, S., Losel, F.

Prevention of familial transmission of depression: EFFEKT-E, a selective program for emotionally burdened families

Aim Parental depression is a strong risk factor for depression in children and is associated with offspring's behavioral problems. Therefore, prevention measures should aim to reduce the transmission of risk to children of depressed mothers. In this paper, description and evaluation results are reported for EFFEKT-E (Entwicklungsforderung in Familien: Eltern- und Kinder-Training in emotional belasteten Familien), a prevention program to be used in the setting of mother-child rehabilitation clinics. EFFEKT-E is a familyoriented program including parent training and social skills training for pre-school children. Subjects and methods The evaluation study contained 375 mothers and their children. The program was evaluated in a quasi-experimental pre-post-follow-up design using instruments on parenting behavior and children's emotional and behavioral problems. Results Evaluation showed satisfying out reach and implementation of the program. Compared to a treatment-asusual condition, EFFEKT-E children exhibited less emotional disruption and hyperactivity. Mother's sense of parental competence was promoted, problematic parenting behavior decreased. Conclusion EFFEKT-E is an evidence-based selective program which has the potential to prevent intergenerational transmission of depression. (copyright) Springer-Verlag 2011.

Journal of Public Health, 19(4) : 321- 327

Akandere, M., Demir, B.

The effect of dance over depression

Dance and movement therapy are consisted of music, easy exercises and sensorial stimulus and provide drugless treatment for the depression on low rates. In this study, it has been aimed to examine the effect of dance over the depression. A total of 120 healthy male and female conservatory students ranged from 20 and 24 ages volunteered to participate in this study. They were divided randomly into 1 of 2 groups: dance training group (DTG; N=60) and control group (CG; N=60). A dance training program was applied to the subjects three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) during 12 weeks. The subjects in the control group did not participate in the training and participated only in the pre and post test measurements. Beck Depression Scale was used for the pre and post test measurements of subjects. 12 weeks of dance training has been found to be effective on the depression levels of the subjects participating in the research as the training group (p<0.05). The depression level of males and females before training has meaningfully decreased after 12 weeks of dance training (p<0.05). When the depression levels of the subjects participated in research as the control group were separately evaluated for males and females, no meaningful change has been found in the depression levels during 12 weeks (p>0.05). In conclusion, it has been seen that dance affects the depression levels of university students positively and decreases their depression levels.

Collegium Antropologicum, 35(3) : 651- 656

Ando, M.

An intervention program focused on self- understanding and interpersonal interactions to prevent psychosocial distress among Japanese university students

This study evaluated the impact of a preventive intervention program focused on self-understanding and interpersonal interactions to prevent psychosocial distress among Japanese university students. Two hundred and twenty-two undergraduate students were divided into a treatment group and a control group to complete Time 1 and Time 2 surveys. The intervention program included eleven weekly sessions covering self- understanding, self-control, interpersonal relationships, problem solving, conflict resolution, and stress management. Both female and male students in the treatment group reported a significant increase in social self-efficacy in interpersonal relationships from Time 1 to Time 2, but no significant changes were noted in the control group. Anxiety significantly decreased from Time 1 to Time 2, and no difference in depression was noted in the female treatment group, although anxiety and depression significantly increased in the female control group. The intervention program effectively prevented some aspects of psychosocial distress. (copyright) 2010 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.

Journal of Adolescence, 34(5) : 929-940

Bowden, D., Goddard, L., Gruzelier, J.

Research report: A randomised controlled single-blind trial of the effects of Reiki and positive imagery on well-being and salivary cortisol

The study investigated whether participants who received Reiki would show greater health and well-being benefits than a group who received no Reiki. A method of blinding participants to Reiki was also tested, where non- contact Reiki or No-Reiki with random assignment was given to 35 healthy psychology undergraduates whose attention was absorbed in one of three tasks involving self-hypnosis/relaxation. Participants experienced ten 20-min intervention sessions over a period of two and a half to 12 weeks. Reiki was directed by the experimenter who sat behind the participants as they were absorbed in the tasks. Self-report measures of illness symptoms, mood and sleep were assessed pre - post-intervention as was salivary cortisol. While the Reiki group had a tendency towards a reduction in illness symptoms, a substantive increase was seen in the No-Reiki. The Reiki group also had a near-significant comparative reduction in stress, although they also had significantly higher baseline illness symptoms and stress scores. The Reiki blinding was successful - the groups did not differ statistically in their beliefs regarding group membership. The results are suggestive that the Reiki buffered the substantive decline in health in the course of the academic year seen in the No-Reiki group.

Brain Research Bulletin, 81 : 66- 72

Beets, M. W., Mitchell, E.

Effects of yoga on stress, depression, and health-related quality of life in a nonclinical, bi-ethnic sample of adolescents: A pilot study

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of yoga on stress, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a nonclinical, bi-ethnic sample of adolescents. Fifty-five students (13.9 (plus or minus) 1.9 years, 50% girls, 49% Hispanic) attending one rural public high school received either 2 weeks of yoga followed by 2 weeks removal or 2 weeks of no treatment followed by 2 weeks of yoga. Primary outcome measures were the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and HRQL-KINDL. Significant ( p <.05) treatment effects were observed for PSS, the overall KINDL HRQL, and physical health, general feelings, and self-esteem KINDL subscales. Despite short program exposure, acute changes in mental health indicators were observed and continued after 2 weeks of treatment removal. (copyright) 2010 Springer Publishing Company.

Hispanic Health Care International, 8(1) : 47-53

Calear, Alison L., Christensen, Helen

Systematic review of school-based prevention and early intervention programs for depression

A systematic review was conducted to identify and describe school-based prevention and early intervention programs for depression and to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms. Forty-two randomised controlled trials, relating to 28 individual school-based programs, were identified through the Cochrane Library, PsycInfo and PubMed databases. A large proportion of the programs identified were based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and delivered by a mental health professional or graduate student over 8-12 sessions. Indicated programs, which targeted students exhibiting elevated levels of depression, were found to be the most effective, with effect sizes for all programs ranging from 0.21 to 1.40. Teacher program leaders and the employment of attention control conditions were associated with fewer significant effects. Further school-based research is required that involves the use of attention controls, long-term follow-ups and which focuses on the training and evaluation of sustainable program leaders, such as teachers.

Journal of Adolescence, 33(3) : 429-438

Christensen, H., Pallister, E., Smale, S., Hickie, I. B., Calear, A. L.

Community-based prevention programs for anxiety and depression in youth: A systematic review

Little is known about the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention programs for young people and adolescents once they leave or dropout from school. The effectiveness of 18 anxiety and 26 depression studies addressing prevention in community programs were identified using systematic review methodology. Anxiety and depression symptoms were reduced in ~60% of the programs. Cognitive behavioral therapy programs were more common than other interventions and were consistently found to lower symptoms or prevent depression or anxiety. Automated or computerized interventions showed promise, with 60% of anxiety programs and 83% of depression programs yielding successful outcomes on at least one measure. Further research is needed to determine the active components of successful programs, to explore cost-effectiveness and scalability factors, to investigate individual predictors of successful outcome, and to design best practice prevention programs.

Journal of Primary Prevention, 31(3) : 139-170

Cornelius, J. R., Bukstein, O. G., Douaihy, A. B., Clark, D. B., Chung, T. A., Daley, D. C., Wood, D. S., Brown, S. J.

Double-blind fluoxetine trial in comorbid MDD-CUD youth and young adults

Objective: This study compared the acute phase (12-week) efficacy of fluoxetine versus placebo for the treatment of the depressive symptoms and the cannabis use of adolescents and young adults with comorbid major depression (MDD) and a cannabis use disorder (CUD) (cannabis dependence or cannabis abuse). We hypothesized that fluoxetine would demonstrate efficacy versus placebo for the treatment of the depressive symptoms and the cannabis use of adolescents and young adults with comorbid MDD/CUD. Methods: We conducted the first double-blind placebo-controlled study of fluoxetine in adolescents and young adults with comorbid MDD/CUD. All participants in both treatment groups also received manual-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivation enhancement therapy (MET) during the 12-week course of the study. Results: Fluoxetine was well tolerated in this treatment population. No significant group-by-time interactions were noted for any depression-related or cannabis-use related outcome variable over the 12-week study. Subjects in both the fluoxetine group and the placebo group showed significant within-group improvement in depressive symptoms and in number of DSM diagnostic criteria for a CUD. Large magnitude decreases in depressive symptoms were noted in both treatment groups, and end-of-study levels of depressive symptoms were low in both treatment groups. Conclusions: Fluoxetine did not demonstrate greater efficacy than placebo for treating either the depressive symptoms or the cannabis-related symptoms of our study sample of comorbid adolescents and young adults. The lack of a significant between-group difference in these symptoms may reflect limited medication efficacy, or may result from efficacy of the CBT/MET psychotherapy or from limited sample size. (copyright) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 112(1-2) : 39-45

Sawada, T., Yokoi, K

Effect of zinc supplementation on mood states in young women: a pilot study

European journal of clinical nutrition, 64(3) : 331

Dobson, Keith S., Hopkins, Jamie Ahnberg, Fata, Ladan, Scherrer, Martin, Allan, Lauren C.

The prevention of depression and anxiety in a sample of high-risk adolescents: A randomized controlled trial

This study investigated the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques in preventing depression and anxiety in a group of adolescent high school students with elevated risk for developing emotional disorders. Students were screened using a measure of depression severity and clinical interview. Following screening procedures, students at risk for, but not currently diagnosed with, depression were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups: a CBT (n = 25) or an active control group (n = 21). Assessment measures were administered before treatment, after treatment, and at 3- and 6 -month follow-up. Both groups exhibited significant improvements in mood symptomatology and self-esteem outcomes over time. Significant differences between groups were not observed at posttreatment and two follow-up points of assessment. The efficacy of CBT techniques was also examined using a \"benchmarking\" strategy. The limitations of this study and future research directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)

Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 25(4) : 291- 310

Emslie, Graham J., Mayes, Taryn, Porta, Giovanna, Vitiello, Benedetto, Clarke, Greg, Wagner, Karen Dineen, Asarnow, Joan Rosenbaum, et -al

Treatment of Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA): week 24 outcomes

Objective: Method: Results: Conclusions: The purpose of this study was to report on the outcome of participants in the Treatment of Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA) trial after 24 weeks of treatment, including remission and relapse rates and predictors of treatment outcome.Adolescents (ages 12-18 years) with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-resistant depression were randomly assigned to either a medication switch alone (alternate SSRI or venlafaxine) or a medication switch plus cognitive- behavioral therapy (CBT). At week 12, responders could continue in their assigned treatment arm and nonresponders received open treatment (medication and/or CBT) for 12 more weeks (24 weeks total). The primary outcomes were remission and relapse, defined by the Adolescent Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation as rated by an independent evaluator.Of 334 adolescents enrolled in the study, 38.9% achieved remission by 24 weeks, and initial treatment assignment did not affect rates of remission. Likelihood of remission was much higher (61.6% versus 18.3%) and time to remission was much faster among those who had already demonstrated clinical response by week 12. Remission was also higher among those with lower baseline depression, hopelessness, and self-reported anxiety. At week 12, lower depression, hopelessness, anxiety, suicidal ideation, family conflict, and absence of comorbid dysthymia, anxiety, and drug/alcohol use and impairment also predicted remission. Of those who responded by week 12, 19.6% had a relapse of depression by week 24.Continued treatment for depression among treatment-resistant adolescents results in remission in approximately one-third of patients, similar to adults. Eventual remission is evident within the first 6 weeks in many, suggesting that earlier intervention among nonresponders could be important.

American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(7) : 782-791