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Identifying Moderators of Response to the Penn Resiliency Program: A Synthesis Study
Steven M Brunwasser1,2, Jane E Gillham3,4
1Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, T-1218 Medical Center North,1161 21st Ave. S., Nashville, TN, 37232-2650, USA. steven.brunwasser@vanderbilt.edu.
Summary
The Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) effectively reduced depressive symptoms in adolescents, particularly those with unmarried parents. However, intervention effects varied significantly based on initial symptom severity and intervention site.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Adolescent depression is a significant public health concern.
- Cognitive-behavioral interventions show promise for depression prevention.
- Identifying moderators of intervention effectiveness is crucial for optimizing treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify moderators of the Penn Resiliency Program's (PRP) effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms among early adolescents.
- To aggregate data from three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to enhance statistical power and sample diversity.
Main Methods:
- Aggregated data from 1145 youth across three PRP RCTs.
- Assessed depressive symptoms using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) over two years.
- Employed latent growth curve models and model-based recursive partitioning to identify moderators.
Main Results:
- A three-way interaction was found between PRP, initial symptom severity, and intervention site on depressive symptom growth.
- PRP reduced depressive symptoms in youth with unmarried parents, but not those with married parents.
- Intervention effects varied by school grade level, with fifth graders showing a delayed response.
Conclusions:
- PRP's effectiveness is moderated by family structure (parental marital status) and intervention site.
- Initial symptom severity moderated effects but was not a reliable prescriptive indicator.
- Future research should consider site, family, and contextual factors as crucial moderators.