Childhood depression: a place for psychotherapy: An outcome study comparing individual psychodynamic psychotherapy and family therapy

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2007)16:157167 DOI 10.1007/s00787-006-0584-x

ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION

Childhood depression: a place for psychotherapy

Judith Trowell Ilan Joffe Jesse Campbell Carmen Clemente Fredrik Almqvist Mika Soininen Ulla Koskenranta-Aalto Sheila Weintraub Gerasimos Kolaitis Vlassis Tomaras Dimitris Anastasopoulos Kate Grayson Jacqueline Barnes John Tsiantis

An outcome study comparing individual psychodynamic psychotherapy and family therapy

Accepted: 14 October 2006 Published online: 2 January 2007

j Abstract Background Although considered clinically effective, there is little systematic research conrming the use of Individual Psychodynamic Psychotherapy or Family Therapy as treatments for depression in children and young adolescents. Aims A clinical trial assessed the effectiveness of these two forms of psychotherapy in treating moderate and severe depression in this age group. Methods A randomised control trial was conducted with 72 patients aged 915 years allocated to one of two treatment groups. Results Signicant reductions in

Original lead researcher: Prof Issy Kolvin (deceased).

J. Trowell, MBBS, DCH, DPM, FRCPsych (&)Professor of Child Mental Health West Midlands NIMHE/CSIP Honorary Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist Tavistock Clinic120 Belsize LaneLondon NW3 5BA, UKTel.: 01707 652205 (UK)

E-Mail: [email protected]

I. Joffe, MRCPsych Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust, Child & Family Clinic Marlowes Health Centre Hemel Hempstead HP1 1HE, UK

J. Campbell Tavistock Clinic 120 Belsize Lane London NW3 5BA, UK

C. Clemente, MRCPsych Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Royal Free HospitalPond StreetLondon NW3 3DP, UK

F. Almqvist, MD, PhDM. Soininen, MDU. Koskenranta-Aalto, MDS. Weintraub, MA Department of Child Psychiatry The Hospital for Children & Adolescents, Faculty of Medicine University of HelsinkiLastenlinnatie 200250 Helsinki, Finland

G. Kolaitis, MD D. Anastasopoulos, MDJ. Tsiantis, MD, DPM, FRCPsych Department of Child Psychiatry, Aghia Sophia Childrens Hospital Athens University Medical School Thivon & Levadias 115 27 Athens, Greece

V. Tomaras, MD Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital Athens University Medical School72 Vas. Sophias Av 115 28 Athens, Greece

K. Grayson, BA, MSc, FRSS Statistics By Design6 Southampton Close, Blackwater Camberly, Surrey G U17 0HB, UK

J. Barnes, BSc, MSc, PhD Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues, Birkbeck University of London7 Bedford Square WC1B 3RA, UK

disorder rates were seen for both Individual Therapy and Family Therapy. A total of 74.3% of cases were no longer clinically depressed following Individual Therapy and75.7% of...