Family-based Treatment of Depressed Adolescents: An Empirical Study with Norwegian Adolescents in Specialty Mental Health Care

Depression disorder affects 9-11% of Norwegian and Scandinavian adolescents. The prevalence is higher (61%) for those in mental health care. Depression and affective disorders in adolescence have negative consequences for the individual, family and the so ciety at large. There is an emerging body of research suggesting that family factors play an important role in the aetiology, maintenance and relape of depressive disorder. Diamond and collegues (2002) developed a family-based model (ABFT) for the treatme nt of depressed adolescents. The primary goal of the project is to examine efficacy and effectiveness of the ABFT model for the treatment of depressed Norwegian adolescents in real life clinical care setting. Fifty adolescents referred to child and adole scent mental health clinics, meeting criteria for inclusion and exclusion and consenting to participate, would be randomized to 12 week ABFT or treatment as usual (TAU). Data would be analyzed by calculating effect sizes and the use of hierarchical linear modeling. We expect results the to contribute towards validating the efficacy and effectiveness of ABFT model cross-culturally namely, with Norwegian adolescents in a naturalistic clinical care setting. We also expect the project to contribute towards th e growing body of literature regarding family based treatment for a group that has received little attention namely, adolescents with depressive and affective disorders. Lastly, effect sizes would form the basis for future studies, among others, comparing treatment modalities (for example, pharmocological treatment).