Dissertation Defenses

Doctoral Dissertation Announcement

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Candidate: Sarah VerLee

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Psychology

Title: School-Based Delivery of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Plus Caregiver Sessions for the Treatment of Youth Depression

Committee:
Dr. Scott Gaynor, Chair
Dr. Galen Alessi
Dr. Amy Naugle
Dr. Helen Pratt

Date: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
1509 Wood Hall

Abstract:
Major depressive disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents and affects 1-3% of youth. Rates of dysthymic disorder and minor depression in this population are estimated to be even higher. Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is the most efficacious psychosocial treatment for youth depression. This study employed a naturalistic, single-subject multiple baseline design to examine the effects of school-based delivery of combined Primary and Secondary Control Enhancement Training and Child Caregiver Relationship Enhancement Training on children’s depressive symptoms. Nine participants, ages 8-14, and their custodial caregivers completed treatment. Treatment outcome was not only assessed at pre-treatment, mid-treatment, and post-treatment but weekly, repeated measures of self-reported depressive symptoms were also examined. For seven of the nine participants, the majority of change in depressive symptoms occurred during the baseline phase, resulting in change independent of treatment. These data support the need for ongoing research to examine the process of change in CBT for youth depression.