Combining individual cognitive behaviour therapy and caregiver-child sessions for childhood depression: an open trial

The objective was to obtain preliminary evidence on the feasibility and efficacy of combining individual cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with complimentary caregiver-child sessions for depressed youths. Fifteen children participated in an open clinical trial. Treatment included 16 CBT sessions combined with seven caregiver/caregiver-child sessions over 12 weeks. Data were collected at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment and at one- and six-month follow-ups. Significant decreases in depressive symptoms were apparent, with the majority showing clinically meaningful improvement. Benchmarked against the literature, the combination equaled or outperformed CBT in other studies and was superior to control conditions. Mother and teacher reports of child functioning significantly improved, providing social validation of the effects. Mothers reported improved caregiver-child relationships and less parenting stress. Children did not report acute improvements in relations with their caregivers. However, when a father participated, improved father-child relations were reported in the follow-up period. Younger age and lower pretreatment severity predicted greater symptom change. The positive treatment effects provide support for the combined intervention and suggest a further research focus on the effects of caregiver involvement in the treatment of depressed youths.