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Review
. 2004 Aug;43(8):930-59.
doi: 10.1097/01.chi.0000127589.57468.bf.

Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for anxiety and depressive disorders in children and adolescents: an evidence-based medicine review

Scott N Compton  1 , John S March, David Brent, Anne Marie Albano 5th, Robin Weersing, John Curry
Affiliations
Review

Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for anxiety and depressive disorders in children and adolescents: an evidence-based medicine review

Scott N Compton et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2004 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To review the literature on the cognitive-behavioral treatment of children and adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders within the conceptual framework of evidence-based medicine.

Method: The psychiatric and psychological literature was systematically searched for controlled trials applying cognitive-behavioral treatment to pediatric anxiety and depressive disorders.

Results: For both anxiety and depression, substantial evidence supports the efficacy of problem-specific cognitive-behavioral interventions. Comparisons with wait-list, inactive control, and active control conditions suggest medium to large effects for symptom reduction in primary outcome domains.

Conclusions: From an evidence-based perspective, cognitive-behavioral therapy is currently the treatment of choice for anxiety and depressive disorders in children and adolescents. Future research in this area will need to focus on comparing cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy with other treatments, component analyses, and the application of exportable protocol-driven treatments to divergent settings and patient populations.

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Comment in

  • CBT versus supportive therapy for depression.
    Chabrol H. Chabrol H. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2005 Sep;44(9):841; author reply 841-3. doi: 10.1097/01.chi.0000170555.00551.37. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2005. PMID: 16113610 No abstract available.