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Evidence-Based Interventions for Depressive Disorders in Childhood

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Handbook of Evidence-Based Therapies for Children and Adolescents

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Abstract

This chapter reviews current information on childhood depression and evidence-based therapies for the treatment of depression in children 12 and under. Depressive disorders in childhood are associated with significant distress and impairment. The prevalence and incidence of childhood depressive disorders and nuances of frequent comorbid conditions are described. Despite the widespread rates and sometimes devastating effects of depressive disorders in children, empirically based treatments for them are few in number. The authors articulate that the profession has limited knowledge about overall treatment efficacy and knows even less about related treatment issues, such as comorbidity, family involvement, group versus individual format, and relapse prevention. They note that many advances have been made in develo** and testing psychosocial treatments for children with depressive disorders. This chapter summarizes findings from previous systematic reviews and incorporates new findings published recently. The authors discuss findings from randomized clinical trials of cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, family-based therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and parent-–child interaction training for childhood depression. However, much work remains to be done: Different populations of affected children, different styles of therapies, and different treatment methods all need further examination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

    Taban Salem & Mary A. Fristad

  2. Alvord, Baker & Associates, LLC, Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Colleen M. Cummings

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  1. Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Ric G. Steele

  2. Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Michael C. Roberts

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Salem, T., Cummings, C.M., Fristad, M.A. (2020). Evidence-Based Interventions for Depressive Disorders in Childhood. In: Steele, R.G., Roberts, M.C. (eds) Handbook of Evidence-Based Therapies for Children and Adolescents. Issues in Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44226-2_8

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