School-Based Primary Prevention of Depressive Symptomatology in Adolescents
- 1 April 1993
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Journal of Adolescent Research
- Vol. 8 (2), 183-204
- https://doi.org/10.1177/074355489382004
Abstract
Two school-based primary prevention interventions for adolescent depressive symptomatology and disorder were examined in separate studies with high school samples of 9th and 10th-grade adolescents. In Study 1, a three-session educational intervention was associated with a short-term reduction in extreme-scoring cases of depressive symptoms among boys, but not girls, when compared to a randomly assigned control condition. However, this effect was not sustained over a 12-week follow-up period. In Study 2, a five-session behavioral skills training intervention, failed to demonstrate any differences compared to a random control condition. Neither of the two interventions had any effect on depression knowledge, attitudes toward treatment, or actual treatment seeking. The failure of these interventions to yield long-term effects is discussed in the context of successful prevention interventions for nonneurotic problem behaviors. The authors conclude that depression may be best prevented with a competency-based intervention targeting several disorders.Keywords
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