Efficacy and Moderators of a Family Group Cognitive-Behavioral Preventive Intervention for Children of Parents With Depression

• Published in: Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 2015-06, Vol.83 (3), p.541-553
• Main Authors: Compas, Bruce E., Forehand, Rex, Thigpen, Jennifer, Hardcastle, Emily, Garai, Emily, McKee, Laura, Keller, Gary, Dunbar, Jennifer P., Watson, Kelly H., Rakow, Aaron, Bettis, Alexandra, Reising, Michelle, Cole, David, Sterba, Sonya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Child of Impaired Parents - psychology; Child Psychopathology; Children & youth; Clinical psychology; Cognition; Cognitive Behavior Therapy; Cognitive Therapy; Depression - prevention & control; Depression - psychology; Depressive Disorder, Major - prevention & control; Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology; Externalization; Families & family life; Family Therapy; Female; Group Psychotherapy; Human; Humans; Internalization; Intervention; Major Depression; Male; Mental depression; Parents; Prevention; Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0022-006X; 1939-2117
• DOI: 10.1037/a0039053

Objective: Building on an earlier study (Compas, Forehand, Thigpen, et al., 2011), tests of main effects and potential moderators of a family group cognitive-behavioral (FGCB) preventive intervention for children of parents with a history of depression are reported. Method: Assessed a sample of 180 families (242 children ages 9-15 years) in a randomized controlled trial assessed at 2, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after baseline. Results: Significant effects favoring the FGCB intervention over a written information comparison condition were found on measures of children's symptoms of depression, mixed anxiety/depression, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems, with multiple effects maintained at 18 and 24 months, and on incidence of child episodes of major depressive disorder over the 24 months. Effects were stronger for child self-reports than for parent reports. Minimal evidence was found for child age, child gender, parental education, parental depressive symptoms, or presence of a current parental depressive episode at baseline as moderators of the FGCB intervention. Conclusions: The findings provide support for sustained and robust effects of this preventive intervention. What is the public health significance of this article? This study provides strong support for the efficacy of a family group cognitive-behavioral preventive intervention for children of parents with a history of major depressive disorder. The intervention led to reduced internalizing and externalizing symptoms and prevented the onset of major depression over a period of 2 years.