The Prevention of Adolescent Depression

This article provides a conceptual framework for research and outlines several new directions for the same on the prevention of depression in youth and reviews the recent literature on prevention efforts targeting children and adolescents. Prevention efforts should target both specific and nonspecific risk factors, enhance protective factors, use a developmental approach, and target selective and/or indicated samples. A review of the literature indicates that prevention programs using cognitive-behavioral and/or interpersonal approaches and family-based prevention strategies are the most helpful. Overall, it seems that there is reason for hope regarding the role of interventions in preventing depressive disorders in youth.