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A longitudinal evaluation of the resilient families randomized trial to prevent early adolescent depressive symptoms

journal contribution
posted on 2015-08-19, 00:00 authored by J P Buttigieg, A L Shortt, T M Slaviero, Delyse HutchinsonDelyse Hutchinson, Peter Kremer, John ToumbourouJohn Toumbourou
This study aimed to evaluate whether an intervention prevented the development of depressive symptoms through the early years of secondary school (Grades 7 to 9 - mean ages 12.3 to 14.5 years) in Victoria, Australia. Twelve schools were randomized to a universal preventative intervention (including a student social relationship/emotional health curriculum, and parent/caregiver parenting education); 12 were randomized as control schools. Multivariate regression analyses used student self-report to predict depressive symptoms at 26-month follow-up (13-months after intervention completion) from baseline measures and intervention status (N = 2027). There was no overall intervention effect on depressive symptoms. However, intervention students with moderate symptoms whose parents attended parent education events had a significantly reduced risk of depressive symptoms at follow-up. Future evaluations of interventions of this type should investigate: therapeutic processes; methods to increase recruitment into effective parent education events; and the potential to target assistance to students with high depressive symptoms.

History

Journal

Journal of adolescence

Volume

44

Pagination

204 - 213

Publisher

Elsevier

Location

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

eISSN

1095-9254

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal article

Copyright notice

2015, Elsevier