Chapter 5. Depression and Suicidal Behavior

Abstract

Despite the evidence supporting the role of CBT in treating depression in adolescents, CBT is often unavailable in many settings and may increase the financial costs of treatment. Therefore, identifying and disseminating the most effective components of these therapeutic techniques is needed in order to better tailor them into a personalized approach for depressed and/or suicidal adolescents and to make treatment as beneficial and cost-effective as possible. In the TORDIA study, for instance, participants who received more than nine CBT sessions and those who received the problem-solving and social skills treatment modules were more likely to have a good treatment response (Kennard et al. 2009a). This evidence suggests that problem-solving and social skills training modules may be more cost-effective to disseminate for use in the community than other CBT modules. In addition, while delivering CBT, therapists are reminded to keep a cultural perspective. Maladaptive beliefs and behaviors are learned and perpetuate in a social context; hence, being cognizant of the relevant cultural and ethnic factors of the youth's presenting problems is essential for every therapist in building a therapeutic alliance with youths and their families and for treatment to succeed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)