Intervention shows promise for treating depression in preschool-aged children

(NIH/National Institute of Mental Health) Children as young as 3-years-old can be diagnosed with clinical depression. Although young children are sometimes prescribed antidepressants, a psychotherapeutic intervention is needed. Researchers adapted Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), (a validated treatment for disruptive behavioral disorders in children), by adding new emotional development content. PCIT-ED treatment resulted in significant improvements in depression for both children and their parents, suggesting PCIT-ED as a powerful and low-risk approach to the treatment of preschool depression.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news