What are the treatments for children and adolescents with depression?
There are two main groups of treatments for children with depression with well- demonstrated evidence of efficacy: • Psychotherapy (talk therapy) • Pharmacotherapy (medications) Additionally, in Sept. 2009, a study was published demonstrating that family psychoeducation was beneficial for children with depression ages 8-12. This is a key area for further investigation. All treatment options have risks and benefits. The best strategy is to educate yourself about the choices you can make, share the decision with your child or teen and evaluate what is best for your child. Untreated depression confers a major risk of suicide, and so it is useful to consider that no treatment also carries risks. Exercise and social support are also necessary elements of any good treatment plan to address depression. These interventions may fail to address more serious symptoms but remain important throughout the course of treatment. Both talk therapy and medications have been shown to be useful in rigorous
