Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study limitations (lack of blinding, imbalance in baseline risk), imprecise results (few patients, wide confidence intervals).
A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 10 studies, involving 1235 patients (children and adolescents) with major depressive disorder. Studies recruited participants with different severities of disorders and with a variety of comorbidities, including anxiety and substance use disorder. Most commonly studied psychotherapies were cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy and psychodynamic therapy.
The relative effectiveness of psychological interventions, antidepressant medication and a combination of these interventions remains unclear. For the majority of outcomes there were no statistically significant differences between the interventions compared
| Outcome | Number of participants (trials) | Control:Antidepressant medication | Intervention:Psychological therapies | Effect size (95 % CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remission immediately post-intervention | 220(2) | 68% | 54% | OR 0.62(0.28 to 1.35) |
| Suicidal ideation immediately post-intervention | 188(1) | 19% | 5% | OR 0.26(0.09 to 0.72) |
| Suicidal ideation at 6 to 9 months | 149(1) | 14% | 4% | OR 0.26(0.07 to 0.98) |
| Number of participants (trials) | Control:Antidepressant medication | Intervention:Psychological therapies combined to antidepressant medication | Outcome | |
| Remission immediately post-intervention | 378(3) | 58% | 66% | OR 1.56(0.98 to 2.47) |
Date of latest search: 2011-11-28
Primary/Secondary Keywords