title: A pilot study of adjunctive family psychoeducation in adolescent major depression: feasibility and treatment effect.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain preliminary evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of adjunctive family psychoeducation in adolescent major depressive disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were from outpatient clinics in Hamilton and London, Ontario. Over 24 months, 41 adolescents ages 13 through 18 years meeting major depressive disorder criteria were recruited (31 in Hamilton, 10 in London). Participants were randomized to usual treatment or usual treatment plus family psychoeducation. Outcome measures were readministered at 2 weeks, mid-treatment, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses used chi2 and t tests and growth curve analysis. Standardized effects based on growth curve estimates were calculated for continuous outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The London site was withdrawn because of poor participant retention. In Hamilton, no participant missed more than one assessment and there was good family psychoeducation adherence. Compared to controls, participants in the experimental group showed greater improvement in social functioning and adolescent-parent relationships (with medium standardized effect size > 0.5), and parents reported greater satisfaction with treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were positive treatment effects on family and social functioning processes postulated to mediate the clinical course of major depressive disorder. The study provides support for further evaluation of family psychoeducation in this clinical population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mark_Sanford@camh.net
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCleary
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duku
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Offord
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects