Friday, February 13, 2009

Recovering from teenage depression: a long haul but most get there in the end

A study of 439 teenagers by researchers at the University of Texas has found that a majority of them did show lasting improvement after treatment. Only a quarter had improved after the first 12 weeks but by 9 months 60% were feeling better. Of those who did respond to early treatment two-thirds maintained their improvement over 9 months. Of those who had not improved early on in their treatment 71% were doing well after 9 months. The study found that cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and antidepressants were similarly effective after 9 months. However, those who received both were more likely to show a quick improvement than those on either treatment alone. A substantial number of the teenagers were still clinically depressed after 9 months of treatment.

You can find out more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE51B4SL20090212?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&sp=true

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