Thought this might interest some of you

[jstme]

Self-help book better than group-CBT for teenagers at risk of depression
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These days, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) seems to be the
psychological treatment of choice for all manner of mental disorders. But
according to a new study, when it comes to preventing depression in
teenagers, a self-help book might actually be more effective.

Eric Stice and colleagues recruited 225 adolescent school pupils at risk of
depression. These teenagers reported experiencing sadness and had raised
scores on a measure of depression, but they weren't actually depressed.

Some of the teenagers then took part in four sessions of group CBT, while
others participated in supportive-expressive group therapy (a forum for
discussing feelings in a safe environment), expressive writing sessions or
diary writing. The remaining students either received 'bibliotherapy' in the
form of a self-help book called 'Feeling Good', or they acted as 'waiting
list' controls and received no intervention at all.

On the one hand, CBT outperformed most of the other treatments - its benefit
versus no treatment was still apparent at two months follow-up, whereas the
benefit of supportive-expressive therapy, expressive writing and diary
writing only lasted one month.

But on the other hand, it was only the students given the 1980 edition of
the book 'Feeling Good' who continued to show reduced depressive symptoms at
six-month follow up. "The findings have public health implications", the
researchers said "because interventions such as bibliotherapy are very
inexpensive and easy to disseminate relative to CBT and
supportive-expressive interventions, which require skilled therapists".

Moreover, drop out was greatest among the CBT teenagers, while being lowest
among the teenagers engaged in supportive-expressive sessions or expressive
writing, with bibliotherapy drop out being intermediate. "The finding that
drop out rates were lowest for two interventions that focussed on emotional
expression suggests that these types of programmes are perceived by
participants to be particularly worthwhile", the researchers said.
__________________________________

Stice, E., Burton, E., Bearman, S.K. & Rohde, P. (2007). Randomised trial of
a brief depression prevention programme: An elusive search for a
psychosocial placebo control condition. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45,
863-876. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.08.008

Authors' weblink:
http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/faculty/stice/Stice.html

[klo_flo]

That is interesting. Still looks to be about finding what is best for the individual though.

Ta for posting =)

Chloe x