Study Clarifies a Depression Risk

New York Times (June 2, 2009) -- Teenagers whose parents have a history of depression are at particularly high risk of becoming depressed themselves. Now, a large clinical trial has found that a group cognitive behavioral program that teaches coping and problem-solving skills to such high-risk teenagers can reduce the risk.

But, the study also found, the success rate of the prevention program varied greatly depending on the mental health status of the teenagers’ parents at the time they began intervention. The program was much more effective than standard care if the parents were also not depressed when the intervention began.

The study was published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

by Roni Rabin

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