[Cognitive outcome of childhood depression using cognitive behavior therapy]

Depressive symptoms and disorders are common among children and increase in prevalence, in particular among adolescent girls. The stability of these mental health problems, the risk of recurrence and their association with suicidality are important issues that underline the need for effective treatment methods to be used in child psychiatric services. This review focuses on the effects of psychological and drug treatments for depressed and suicidal children and adolescents, evaluated in empirical research during recent decades. It is concluded that cognitive-behavioural approaches have shown positive outcomes in most studies conducted with school samples, as well as in clinic samples of children and adolescents. By contrast, in only one placebo-controlled study fluoxetine (SSRI) has shown to be effective in the treatment of depressive disorders in these age groups. Preventive intervention programmes administered in school settings have not been successful and limited research, but also with negative outcomes exists, on clinic-based interventions for suicidal adolescents. This area needs to be further addressed in future research.