Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.

It may take more than one tactic to treat teens with depression.

A combination of medication and therapy appears to be the most effective way to treat teens with major depressive disorder, according to a recent national study. Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas participated in the study, which found that a combination of Prozac and cognitive therapy was more effective than either method used alone in treating teen-age depression.

Major depressive disorder affects about 5 percent of American teens. It's a significant factor in teen suicides, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among American teens. Approximately half of all teen suicides are associated with major depressive disorder, with nearly 2,000 suicides and half a million attempts each year.

The study compared results of cognitive behavior therapy and the drug Prozac when used separately and when used in combination. Cognitive therapy emphasizes the role of thinking in feelings and behaviors. There was a 71 percent improvement in teens who received both treatments, while there was a 60 percent improvement in those who only received medication and a 43 percent improvement in those who only received therapy.

Dr. Graham Emslie, director of UT Southwestern's child and adolescent psychiatry division, says antidepressant drugs are important for treating teens with depression because therapy alone isn't effective, but teens on medications should be carefully monitored.

###

Sept. 2004

Health Watch is heard Monday through Friday nationwide on the "Stardust" format of ABC Satellite Radio. Call your local radio station and ask if they carry the program.