DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN ADOLESCENTS

Is school-based, Cognitive-Centered Universal Program Effective In Reducing Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Anxiety is one of the most common psychological disorders in school aged children and adolescents. Current prevalence rates range from 4% to 25%, with an average rate of 8%. The actual rate of prevalence, however, may be even higher, with many children and adolescents remaining unidentified and untreated. The effects of anxiety disorders on the well-being of children and adolescents are substantial, with the child's social, emotional, and academic functioning affected. Poor social and coping skills, reduced social interactions, low self-esteem and lower academic achievement, are a few of the major effects. If left untreated, anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence can lead to reduced career choices (due to absenteeism and lower schools grades), increased medical use, depression and substance abuse in adulthood.

Table of Content

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYII

BACKGROUND1

DEVELOPMENT2

CRITICAL DISCUSSION2

COMPREHENSIVE AND CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF RESEARCH3

Effectiveness of school-based prevention and early intervention programs for anxiety4

CRITIQUE THE PAPER5

SYNTHESIS OF RESEARCH EVIDENCE6

APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATIONS REFLECTING SYNTHESIS7

REALISTIC ACTION PLAN8

IMPLICATION TO PRACTICE10

RECOMMENDATION11

CONCLUSION13

REFERENCES14

BACKGROUND

There have been efforts to prevent mental illness more directly than by addressing societal inequalities. Depressive disorder is a major cause of disability potential gains from preventing depressive disorder are considerable and there have been a number of studies in this area over the last decade. Results to date have been disappointing.

Most preventive interventions are based on psychological interventions that are derived from cognitive behavioral approaches. They may be universal, in which the intervention is delivered to the population regardless of risk, or targeted on a population which is selected because of a known risk factor, such as having a parent with a mental illness, or in which intervention is indicated because the young person has elevated symptoms of depression. Clearly, there is overlap between indicated programmes and early intervention.

In a Cochrane review and meta-analysis of depression prevention programmes, we identified studies of ten universal and eight targeted depression prevention interventions that met the criteria for inclusion. Most studies measured depressive symptoms following intervention, which is not strictly measuring prevention. The task in prevention is to reduce the subsequent incidence of a problem. Reduction of depressive symptoms is, more strictly, early intervention. Targeted programmes led to a short-term reduction in depressive symptoms (standardized mean difference -0.26; 95% confidence interval -0.40 to 0.13), but universal programmes were not effective. These studies had a number of flaws, most notably a lack of attention/placebo controls. Few studies measured the incidence of depression over the follow-up period; however, where this was done, results were encouraging.

DEVELOPMENT

Anxiety is a disease that afflicts the human psyche in such a way that the afflicted tend to act and react abnormally toward others and themselves. Therefore it comes to no surprise to discover that adolescent Anxiety is strongly linked to teen suicide. Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in youths aged 15 to 19 than cardiovascular disease or cancer (Blackman 48). Despite this increased suicide rate, Anxiety in this age group is greatly under diagnosed and leads to ...