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. 2015 Jun;83(3):541-53.
doi: 10.1037/a0039053.

Efficacy and moderators of a family group cognitive-behavioral preventive intervention for children of parents with depression

Bruce E Compas  1 , Rex Forehand  2 , Jennifer Thigpen  1 , Emily Hardcastle  1 , Emily Garai  2 , Laura McKee  2 , Gary Keller  2 , Jennifer P Dunbar  3 , Kelly H Watson  3 , Aaron Rakow  2 , Alexandra Bettis  3 , Michelle Reising  3 , David Cole  3 , Sonya Sterba  3
Affiliations

Efficacy and moderators of a family group cognitive-behavioral preventive intervention for children of parents with depression

Bruce E Compas et al. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2015 Jun.

Abstract

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.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant screening and randomization.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan-Meier survival analyses of major depression in children in Family Group Cognitive-Behavioral Preventive Intervention vs. Written Information Condition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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