title: Preventing adolescent depression: an evaluation of the problem solving for life program.
abstract: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Problem Solving For Life program as a universal approach to the prevention of adolescent depression. Short-term results indicated that participants with initially elevated depressions scores (high risk) who received the intervention showed a significantly greater decrease in depressive symptoms and increase in life problem-solving scores from pre- to postintervention compared with a high-risk control group. Low-risk participants who received the intervention reported a small but significant decrease in depression scores over the intervention period, whereas the low-risk controls reported an increase in depression scores. The low-risk group reported a significantly greater increase in problem-solving scores over the intervention period compared with low-risk controls. These results were not maintained, however, at 12-month follow-up.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Spence
authors.forename: Jeanie K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Sheffield
authors.forename: Caroline L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Donovan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012919:Social Behavior