Parent preferences for adolescent depression treatment: The role of past treatment experience and biological etiological beliefs

Background: Parents play a crucial role in facilitating depression treatment for adolescents, yet parental preferences for adolescent treatments are ill-understood. Past treatment experience and belief in a biological model of depression may impact preferences, and warrant investigation. Methods: Parents (N = 143) of teens (12–18 years) completed a survey assessing preference for adolescent depression treatments, treatment knowledge, and beliefs about the biological etiology of depression. Details about parents' and adolescents' past mental health concerns and treatment were obtained. Parents indicated degree of preference from 0 (Not at all preferable) - 10 (Highly preferable) for six treatment options (counselling, antidepressant medication, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, exercise, no treatment) for three adolescents vignettes depicting varying depression severity (Mild/Moderate, Severe, and Treatment-Resistant). Results: Mean preference ratings across all vignette severities were high for counselling (range: 8.57–9.38) and exercise (range: 9.04–9.25). Multiple regression revealed parental past experience of psychopharmacological treatment was significantly associated with current preference for adolescent antidepressant medication, with increased helpfulness and milder/fewer adverse events associated with stronger preference. Greater perceived helpfulness of past teen psychopharmacological treatment was significantly associated with greater current parental preference for adolescent antidepressant medication. Strength of biological beliefs and counselling preference were significantly positively associated. Limitations: Sample was highly educated, predominately female, and majority treatment-utilizing limiting the generalizability of findings. Conclusions: Parents' own past medication experiences and degree of biological etiological beliefs appear to be associated with current teen depression treatment preferences. Counselling and exercise were highly preferred across depression severity.