Already recognized for its benefits in adults, cognitive therapy based on mindfulness can also help adolescents fight depression, according to researchers.
- The ATTEND program adapts mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to help adolescents suffering from depression, and address the ineffectiveness of many current treatments.
- On the menu: an eight-week program including dynamic group sessions, online or in person, with active breaks and exercises adapted to adolescents. All supported by an interactive application to anchor the skills learned.
- A clinical trial is currently being carried out in the United Kingdom on 480 adolescents and their parents to evaluate the effectiveness of this mindfulness therapy compared to standard treatments.
Faced with the rise of mental disorders among adolescents, researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and King’s College London, United Kingdom, have developed a mindfulness therapy specifically designed for young people and their families. The objective: to offer a more suitable and effective solution to combat depression. While it affects around 140,000 British adolescents aged 15 to 19, no less than 22,000 of them do not respond to existing treatments, or relapse after initial treatment.
Mindfulness adapted to adolescents
The therapy, called WAIT (Adolescents and carers using mindfulness Therapy To End Depression), adapts mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), recognized for its benefits in adults, by making it more accessible to young people. But the idea is the same: recognize negative thought patterns that may trigger or maintain anxiety, and focus more on the present moment.
On the therapy menu: an eight-week program including dynamic group sessions, online or in person, with active breaks and exercises adapted to adolescents. All supported by an interactive application to anchor the skills learned. A clinical trial is currently being carried out in the United Kingdom on 480 adolescents and their parents to evaluate the effectiveness of this mindfulness therapy compared to standard treatments, in particular by measuring recovery rates or relapse prevention.
The major innovation of the ATTEND program lies in its very “family” approach: parallel sessions are planned for parents, allowing them to better understand and support their children, but also to strengthen family relationships and their own mental health. “Supporting a teenager with depression can be incredibly difficult for families. Parents often struggle to know how best to help their children”says Professor Patrick Smith, who participated in the study, in a press release.
Intervene early to reduce the risk of depression
Kat Nellist, officially diagnosed with anxiety and depression since childhood, attests to the benefits of mindfulness. Since she was 15, after several therapeutic failures (including cognitive-behavioral therapy), she followed a TCBPC program, which helped her to recognize and manage her negative thoughts, to better enjoy the present moment and to improve her relationships with his family. Now a psychology student, Kat Nellist is involved in the ATTEND project to ensure that it remains focused on the needs of adolescents.
Researchers hope to integrate ATTEND into the UK public health system to reach as many young people in difficulty as possible. “If we intervene early, we can reduce their future suffering”insists Kat Nellist.
