Treatment of school refusal: one-year follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a 1-year follow-up of anxious-depressed school-refusing adolescents who participated in an 8-week study of imipramine versus placebo, each in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy.


METHODS
Sixty-five percent (41 of 63) of the randomly assigned subjects returned for follow-up evaluation, which consisted of diagnostic interviews, clinician rating scales for anxiety and depression, family functioning measure, and a questionnaire regarding interim treatments and school programs.


RESULTS
From the adolescent and/or parent perspective, 64.1% met criteria for an anxiety disorder and 33.3% met criteria for a depressive disorder. Remission rates and acquisition rates for specific anxiety and depressive disorders were determined. In the follow-up period, 67.5% received at least one psychotropic medication trial and 77.5% had outpatient therapy. Higher level of somatic complaints on the Anxiety Rating for Children-Revised Physiological subscale at baseline predicted more severe depression on the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised at follow-up (p = .029).


CONCLUSIONS
In this naturalistic follow-up study, there was high utilization of mental health interventions. In addition, a substantial number of subjects met criteria for anxiety and/or depressive disorders 1 year after treatment. Investigation of duration of acute treatments and evaluation of maintenance treatments for school refusal is needed.
Bernstein
G A
GA
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Hektner
J M
JM
Borchardt
C M
CM
McMillan
M H
MH
D000293:Adolescent; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000523:psychology*
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D007099:Imipramine