Group therapy for adolescent depressive disorder: a comparison of social skills and therapeutic support.
Two forms of short-term group therapy for depressed adolescents are compared. Adolescents were assigned to either a social skills training or therapeutic support group. Treatment outcome was based on self-report and semistructured clinical interviews for depression, measures of self-concept, and cognitive distortions. After treatment, adolescents in the therapeutic support groups showed significantly greater reductions in clinical depression and significant increases in self-concept compared with those in the social skills training group. These group differences were no longer evident at 9-month follow-up, as adolescents in the therapeutic support groups maintained their improvement, and adolescents in the social skills training groups caught up.
Fine
S
S
Division of Child Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Forth
A
A
Gilbert
M
M
Haley
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010556:Personality Tests; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support