Skip to main content
Full access
Articles
Published Online: 20 June 2018

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Parent-Child Psychotherapy Targeting Emotion Development for Early Childhood Depression

Abstract

Objective:

Clinical depression in children as young as age 3 has been validated, and prevalence rates are similar to the school-age disorder. Homotypic continuity between early and later childhood depression has been observed, with alterations in brain function and structure similar to those reported in depressed adults. These findings highlight the importance of identifying and treating depression as early as developmentally possible, given the relative treatment resistance and small effect sizes for treatments later in life. The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial of a dyadic parent-child psycho-therapy for early childhood depression that focuses on enhancing the child’s emotional competence and emotion regulation.

Method:

A modified version of the empirically tested parent-child interaction therapy with a novel “emotion development” module (PCIT-ED) was compared with a waiting list condition in a randomized controlled trial in 229 parent-child dyads with children 3–6.11 years of age. Both study arms lasted 18 weeks.

Results:

Children in the PCIT-ED group had lower rates of depression (primary outcome), lower depression severity, and lower impairment compared with those in the waiting list condition (Cohen’s d values, >1.0). Measures of child emotional functioning and parenting stress and depression were significantly improved in the PCIT-ED group.

Conclusions:

The findings from this randomized controlled trial of a parent-child psychotherapy for early childhood depression suggest that earlier identification and intervention in this chronic and relapsing disorder represents a key new pathway for more effective treatment. Manualized PCIT-ED, administered by master’s-level clinicians, is feasible for delivery in community health settings.

Formats available

You can view the full content in the following formats:

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to American Journal of Psychiatry
Go to American Journal of Psychiatry
American Journal of Psychiatry
Pages: 1102 - 1110
PubMed: 29921144

History

Received: 20 March 2018
Accepted: 6 April 2018
Published online: 20 June 2018
Published in print: November 01, 2018

Keywords

  1. Early Childhood
  2. Depression Treatment
  3. Psychotherapy

Authors

Details

Joan L. Luby, M.D. [email protected]
From the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Radiology, and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Deanna M. Barch, Ph.D.
From the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Radiology, and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Diana Whalen, Ph.D.
From the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Radiology, and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Rebecca Tillman, M.S.
From the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Radiology, and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Kenneth E. Freedland, Ph.D.
From the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Radiology, and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.

Notes

Address correspondence to Dr. Luby ([email protected]).

Funding Information

National Institute of Mental Health10.13039/100000025: 5R01MH098454-04
Supported by NIMH grant 5R01MH098454-04.Dr. Luby has received research support from NIMH and royalties from Guilford Press. Dr. Freedland has received research grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and an editorial honorarium from the Society for Health Psychology. The other authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format
Citation style
Style
Copy to clipboard

View Options

View options

PDF/EPUB

View PDF/EPUB

Full Text

View Full Text

Get Access

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login
Purchase Options

Purchase this article to access the full text.

PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry

PPV Articles - American Journal of Psychiatry

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share article link

Share