Childhood Depression - Group Programs Effective For Prevention

Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Depression
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 21 Dec 2011 - 10:00 PST


A systematic review reveals that psychological programs designed to prevent depression in children and teenagers can be helpful; the protective effects can last for up to a year. The report is published in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that assesses medical research.

Lead author Sally Merry, M.D., a pediatric psychiatrist with the department of psychological medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, explained:

"Our results were encouraging, because depression is so common. It's one of the costliest disorders internationally. Researcher noted in the novel review reveals that in 2002, depression was the second leading cause of disability in developed countries and the first leading cause in several developing nations."

Tamar Mendelson, PhD., an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who focuses on methods to prevent mental illnesses, explains that the enjoyment young individuals experience in daily life can be destroyed by depression.

Depression can also weaken their social relations and performance at school, as well as increase their risk of substance use. Mendelson states that an initial episode of depression significantly increases the risk of further episodes, activating what is often a recurring course of illness.

Mendelson explains:

"Preventing depression and other mental illnesses is critical for many reasons. For one, there are far too few clinicians to treat all the people suffering from depression and other mental illnesses."

In addition, Mendelson highlights that even evidence-based treatments that are effective for preventing depression do not work for all people. Several individual suffering with depression or other mental illnesses do not seek help, even when care is available, due to stigma.

Mendelson explained:

"By intervening before the start of a disorder, prevention strategies have the potential to avert a chronic, episodic course of mental illness. Thus, prevention efforts with children and adolescents are particularly critical."

The researchers gathered data on 53 studies conducted in various nations. In total, 14,406 participants between the ages of 5 and 19 were included. At the time participants started the prevention programs none suffered from depressive disorder.

The researchers discovered that those who participated in prevention programs were considerably less likely to develop depression in the year after the program than youngsters who did not take part. This finding was the same even if the programs were aimed toward a specific subset of children, such as universal, or only boys.

Mendelson said:

"Group-based prevention strategies may offer a means of reaching more individuals than most treatment approaches. Prevention strategies are often less stigmatizing and therefore more acceptable to people than mental health treatments."

The majority of programs contained some elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Other programs gave priority to stress reduction methods, self-efficacy, and techniques for managing trauma and maintaining optimism.

Merry and Mendelson highlight that with depression among young individuals being prevalent, these discoveries are vital for several audiences, including young individuals and their parents, healthcare professionals who sever children and families, and school personnel.

In addition, policy makers worried about enhancing public health and managing the substantial costs linked to depression are likely to be interested. The researchers explain in several countries, "Governments are keen to take action" in order to reduce the significant human and financial costs connected with depression.

Written by Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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