Cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) appears to have considerable value in the treatment of childhood depression. Its key components are self-monitoring, social problem-solving and cognitive restructuring. Such a treatment programme was compared with a non-focused control intervention (NFI) in 57 outpatient children and adolescents with depression. Both groups improved significantly on depressive and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and social functioning, with the majority of children (87 percent of CBT subjects and 75 percent of controls) no longer being clinically depressed. Non-specific psychotherapeutic elements such as empathy, sympathetic listening, reassurance, reinforcement and indirect ways of achieving self-understanding and problem-solving may be involved in the recovery. In out-patient settings, we recommend that social problem-solving and cognitive restructuring be introduced during the first two to three sessions, which may help the young person gain self-control relatively early and engage more with the treatment.
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