Young, J. F., Mufson, L., & Davies, M. (2006). Efficacy of Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training: An indicated preventive intervention for depression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 1254-1262.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 41 adolescents

Population:

• Age range — 11 to 16 years
• Race/Ethnicity — Hispanic (92.7%)
• Gender — Female (85.4%), Male (14.6%)
• Status — Youth in predominately single-parent low-income households with undiagnosed sub-threshold depression symptoms.

Location / Institution: Three Catholic schools in New York City, NY

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
Forty-one adolescents with elevated depression symptoms were randomized to receive either Interpersonal Psychotherapy – Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST) or school counseling (SC) as delivered by guidance counselors and social workers at one of three New York City Catholic schools. Adolescents in the two intervention conditions were compared on depression symptoms, overall functioning, and depression diagnoses post-intervention and at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. Each evaluation included the Kiddie-Sads-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Adolescents who received IPT-AST had significantly fewer depression symptoms and better overall functioning post-intervention on the CES-D at 3 months and at 6 months. The IPT-AST group reported significantly better functioning on the CGAS at 3 months and 6 months post-treatment. Adolescents in IPT-AST also reported fewer depression diagnoses than adolescents in SC. Limitations included small sample size, less than half of the eligible adolescents agreed to participate in the eligibility evaluation, the unbalanced randomization resulted in a small number of adolescents in the SC group, and the majority of the sample was Hispanic and female.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 6 months.

Horowitz, J. L., Garber, J., Ciesla, J. A., Young, J., & Mufson, L. (2007). Prevention of depressive symptoms in adolescents: A randomized trial of cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal prevention programs. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 693-706.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 380 adolescents

Population:

• Age range — 14.43 average years
• Race/Ethnicity — Caucasian (79%), African American (13%), Latino (2%), Asian (1%), Native American (1%), mixed heritage (3%), other (1%)
• Gender — Female (54%), Male (46%)
• Status — Youth in suburban/rural, working to middle class families.

Location / Institution: Wilson County, Tennessee high schools

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
Participants were 380 high school students randomly assigned to a cognitive–behavioral program (CB), Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), or a no-intervention control. The interventions involved eight 90-min weekly sessions run in small groups during wellness classes. Study goals included examining efficacy relative to gender and sociotropy [a personality trait associated with high levels of dependence and excessive need to please others]. Measures used included the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Sociotropy-Achievement Scale for Children (SASC), Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire-Revised (CASQ-R), Coping with Stress Course (COPE), and the Conflict Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ). At post-intervention, the CB and IPT–AST groups showed significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms than in the no-intervention group, controlling for baseline depression scores. Differences between control and intervention groups were largest for adolescents with high levels of depressive symptoms at baseline. No significant effects for gender, but results indicate that higher levels of sociotropy were related to lower levels of depression in the IPT-AST group and control group, but not the CB group. Intervention effects were short term and were not maintained at 6-month follow-up. Limitations included low rates of follow-up data for students in the control group with elevated symptoms, not obtaining information regarding treatment between assessments, not conducting diagnostic interviews or individual pre-group sessions in the IPT-AST condition, questionable generalization due to the 63% participation rate, and absolute therapist fidelity to treatment protocol was not monitored.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 6 months.

Young, J. F., Gallop, R., & Mufson, L. (2009). Mother-child conflict and its moderating effects on depression outcomes in a preventive intervention for adolescent depression. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 38, 696-704.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 41 adolescents

Population:

• Age range — 11 to 16 years
• Race/Ethnicity — Hispanic (92.7%)
• Gender — Female (85.4%), Male (14.6%)
• Status — Youth from single-parent household with undiagnosed sub-threshold depression symptoms.

Location / Institution: Three Catholic schools in New York City, NY

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
The 2009 study used the same sample as the 2006 study. Adolescents were randomized to receive Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), or school counseling (SC). Study goals included examining whether the intervention could impact mother-child conflict and whether baseline conflict moderated the effects of the interventions on adolescents’ depression symptoms. Measures used included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Conflict Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), Kiddie-Sads-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), and the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). All adolescents completed assessments at baseline; post-intervention; and 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. There was a significant reduction in adolescent reported conflict with mothers for adolescents in IPT-AST at post-intervention and throughout the 12-month follow-up period. Conversely, adolescents in SC reported an increase in conflict following the intervention and up to 6 months after the intervention, with a slight decrease in conflict reported at 12-month follow-up. Baseline mother–child conflict moderated the programs’ effects on depression symptoms. Adolescents in IPT-AST who had high baseline conflict showed significantly greater decreases in depression symptoms than adolescents in SC who had high conflict. No significant differences were found between the two interventions for adolescents with low baseline conflict. Limitations included small sample size, unbalanced randomization that resulted in less students in the SC group, using only adolescent reports of mother-child conflict, and the majority of the sample was Hispanic and female.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 12 months.

Young, J. F., Mufson, L., & Gallop, R. (2010). Preventing depression: A randomized trial of Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training. Depression and Anxiety, 27, 426-433.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 57 adolescents

Population:

• Age range — 13 to 17 years
• Race/Ethnicity — Hispanic (73.7%), African American (26.3%)
• Gender — Female (59.7%), Male (40.3%)
• Status — Youth from inner city, minority, single-parent homes, sub-threshold depression symptoms without diagnosis.

Location / Institution: Three Catholic high schools in New York City, NY

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
Fifty-seven adolescents with elevated depression symptoms were randomized to receive Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), or school counseling (SC). Measures used included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Kiddie-Sads-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), and Children's Depression Rating Scale, Revised (CDRS-R). Adolescents completed assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6, 12, and 18-month post-intervention. Rates of depression diagnoses in the 18-month follow-up period were compared. From baseline to post-intervention, IPT-AST adolescents showed significantly greater rates of change than SC adolescents on the CES-D, CDRS-R, and the CGAS. In the 18 months following the intervention, there were no significant differences in rates of change on the CDRS-R, but there were significant differences in rates of change on the CES-D and the CGAS. SC adolescents showed continued improvements during the follow-up, whereas IPT-AST adolescents showed minimal change. IPT-AST adolescents reported significantly fewer depression diagnoses in the first 6 months following the intervention, but by 12-month follow-up the difference in rates of diagnoses was no longer significant. Limitations included that only a third of adolescents with elevated symptoms agreed to participate in the eligibility evaluation, small sample size, SC involved individual counseling which may question the effectiveness of specific IPT-AST techniques over general group processes, many did not complete follow-up assessments, and minority youth were overrepresented which may affect generalizability.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 18 months.