Depression in youth: Psychosocial interventions

Witnessed over the past 20 years are major advances in knowledge regarding depression in children and adolescents. Although additional research is nee ded, clinicians can now turn to treatment strategies with demonstrated effi cacy. In this article we review the literature on psychosocial intervention s for depression in youth and offer a working model to guide the treatment of depressed youth. We begin with a brief overview of the model, followed b y a review of the treatment efficacy and prevention literatures. We offer s ome caveats that impact the ability to move from this treatment literature to the real world of clinical practice. We conclude by considering how exta nt research can inform treatment decisions and highlight critical questions that need to be addressed through future research.