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(Ivanhoe Newswire) Group therapy may be the best medicine for adolescent children of depressed adults. New research shows those who participated in cognitive behavior (CB) prevention programs in groups significantly reduced their symptoms and depressive episodes compared to those who received traditional care.
More than 300 teens with depressed parents participated in group therapy sessions for eight weekly meetings. Through 90-minute group sessions (followed by six monthly continuation sessions) led by a therapist, the teens were taught problem-solving skills and cognitive restructuring techniques to identify and challenge unrealistic and overly negative thoughts. Throughout the eight-month study, rates of new depressive episodes were lower among those receiving therapy compared to those in traditional care. 21.4 percent vs. 32.7 percent, respectively.
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These positive findings support the clinical utility of this CB prevention program as a preventive intervention to reduce or delay the incidence of depression in offspring of depressed parents, the study authors wrote. Most youth in the current study had a history of depression and thus the CB prevention program prevented recurrence. Therefore, this program may be useful as a continuation or maintenance intervention," the authors write.
SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2009;301:2215-2224
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