title: Impact of comorbid anxiety in an effectiveness study of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of comorbid anxiety on treatment for adolescent depression in an effectiveness study of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A).
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized clinical trial was conducted from April 1, 1999, through July 31, 2002. Sixty-three depressed adolescents, ages 12 to 18, received either IPT-A or treatment as usual delivered by school-based mental health clinicians. Adolescents with and without probable comorbid anxiety disorders were compared on depression and overall functioning. All analyses used an intent-to-treat design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comorbid anxiety was associated with higher depression scores at baseline (p <.01) and poorer depression outcome posttreatment (p <.05). IPT-A was nonsignificantly more effective in treating the depression of adolescents with comorbid anxiety (p =.07). Adolescents whose depression and functioning improved during the course of treatment also showed an improvement in anxiety (p <.01), largely irrespective of treatment condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents with comorbid depression and anxiety present with more severe depression and may be more difficult to treat. Structured treatments like IPT-A may be particularly helpful for comorbidly depressed adolescents as compared to supportive therapy.
authors.affiliation: Drs. Young and Mufson and Mr. Davies are with the Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York.. Electronic address: youngj@childpsych.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Jami F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Drs. Young and Mufson and Mr. Davies are with the Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mufson
authors.affiliation: Drs. Young and Mufson and Mr. Davies are with the Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome