Depression—Youth

Summary

Although many studies document an association between childhood depression and various cognitive distortions, further work is necessary to better understand the nature of the relationship between cognitive processes and depression in children. For example, it appears that while cognitions moderate the relationship between stressful life events and depression in adults, they act as mediators in children. Also, gender differences in treatment effects suggest the need for the development of gender-specific intervention models. As families have come to be considered important avenues for intervention, models that specify the relationship between family variables and childhood depression are receiving greater attention. Finally, there is movement in the field toward incorporating developmental models of affect regulation (e.g., Garber’s information processing model), attachment, and cognitive change into CBT intervention approaches.