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

Date

2015

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Journal of consulting and clinical psychology

Abstract

Building on an earlier study (Compas 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 in 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. Significant effects favoring the FGCB intervention over a written information (WI) 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. The findings provide support for sustained and robust effects of this preventive intervention. (author Abstract)

Description

Keywords

child abuse, parental depression, prevention, moderation, research

Citation

Compas, B. E., Forehand, R., Thigpen, J., Hardcastle, E., Garai, E., McKee, L., ... & Sterba, S. (2015). Efficacy and moderators of a family group cognitive–behavioral preventive intervention for children of parents with depression. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 83(3), 541-553.

DOI