A new study in JAMA reported that approximately 60% of depressed adolescents respond adequately to initial treatments with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), but there is a lack of information about subsequent treatment strategies. Four treatment strategies were employed in this study including medication-switching alone (to a different SSRI or to venlafaxine) and medication-switching plus cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT in this study emphasized cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, emotion regulation, social skills, and problem solving. Additionally, parent-child sessions emphasized decreasing criticism and improving support, family communication, and problem solving. The authors found that CBT plus a switch to either medication regimen showed a higher response rate than a medication-switch alone (and that there was no difference in response rate between venlafaxine and a second SSRI).
Study authors: D. Brent, G. Emslie, G. Clarke, K. D. Wagner, J. R. Asarnow, M. Keller, et al.