title: Cognitive and family therapies for adolescent depression: treatment specificity, mediation, and moderation.
abstract: The specificity of cognitive and family therapies, and potential treatment mediators and moderators, was examined in a randomized clinical trial for adolescent depression. After acute treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) exerted specific effects on cognitive distortions relative to either systemic-behavioral family therapy (SBFT) or nondirective supportive therapy (NST). At 2-year follow-up, SBFT was found to impact family conflict and parent-child relationship problems more than CBT; NST and CBT tended to show a greater reduction in anxiety symptoms than SBFT. Nonspecific therapist variables qualified few outcome analyses. No measures of cognitive distortion or family dysfunction mediated or moderated treatment outcome. As in adult studies, relatively few areas of treatment specificity or mediation were identified. The implications of these findings for clinical treatment and research in adolescent depression are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. kolkodj@msx.upmc.edu
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kolko
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Brent
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baugher
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bridge
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Birmaher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D015897:Comorbidity; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D009629:Person-Centered Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome