TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of attachment style in interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents
AU - Gunlicks-Stoessel, Meredith
AU - Westervelt, Ana
AU - Reigstad, Kristina
AU - Mufson, Laura
AU - Lee, Susanne
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, © 2017 Society for Psychotherapy Research.
PY - 2019/1/2
Y1 - 2019/1/2
N2 - Objective(s): This study examined changes in depressed adolescents' reports of attachment anxiety and avoidance with interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-A), and the relationship between attachment style and change in depression with IPT-A. Method: Forty adolescents (aged 12–17) participated in a 16-week randomized clinical trial of 4 adaptive treatment strategies for adolescent depression that began with IPT-A and augmented treatment for insufficient responders (n = 22) by adding additional IPT-A sessions (n = 11) or the antidepressant medication, fluoxetine (n = 11). Adolescents were 77.5% female and 22.5% male (mean age = 14.8, SD = 1.8). Ten percent of adolescents were Latino. Racial composition was 7.5% Asian, 7.5% American Indian/Alaska Native, 80.0% white, and 5.0% biracial. Measures of attachment style (Experience in Close Relationships Scale—Revised [ECR-R]) and depression (Children's Depression Rating Scale—Revised [CDRS-R]) were administered at baseline and Weeks 8 and 16. Results: Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance (ECR-R) decreased significantly from baseline to Week 16. Baseline Avoidance positively predicted greater reductions in depression (CDRS-R), controlling for fluoxetine. Reductions in Anxiety and Avoidance were also significantly associated with reductions in CDRS-R, controlling for fluoxetine. Conclusions: Adolescents' reports of attachment anxiety and avoidance are amenable to intervention with IPT-A. IPT-A may be particularly beneficial for adolescents who report a high level of avoidant attachment.
AB - Objective(s): This study examined changes in depressed adolescents' reports of attachment anxiety and avoidance with interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-A), and the relationship between attachment style and change in depression with IPT-A. Method: Forty adolescents (aged 12–17) participated in a 16-week randomized clinical trial of 4 adaptive treatment strategies for adolescent depression that began with IPT-A and augmented treatment for insufficient responders (n = 22) by adding additional IPT-A sessions (n = 11) or the antidepressant medication, fluoxetine (n = 11). Adolescents were 77.5% female and 22.5% male (mean age = 14.8, SD = 1.8). Ten percent of adolescents were Latino. Racial composition was 7.5% Asian, 7.5% American Indian/Alaska Native, 80.0% white, and 5.0% biracial. Measures of attachment style (Experience in Close Relationships Scale—Revised [ECR-R]) and depression (Children's Depression Rating Scale—Revised [CDRS-R]) were administered at baseline and Weeks 8 and 16. Results: Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance (ECR-R) decreased significantly from baseline to Week 16. Baseline Avoidance positively predicted greater reductions in depression (CDRS-R), controlling for fluoxetine. Reductions in Anxiety and Avoidance were also significantly associated with reductions in CDRS-R, controlling for fluoxetine. Conclusions: Adolescents' reports of attachment anxiety and avoidance are amenable to intervention with IPT-A. IPT-A may be particularly beneficial for adolescents who report a high level of avoidant attachment.
KW - attachment
KW - child psychotherapy
KW - depression
KW - outcome research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85018852916&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85018852916&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10503307.2017.1315465
DO - 10.1080/10503307.2017.1315465
M3 - Article
C2 - 28436756
AN - SCOPUS:85018852916
SN - 1050-3307
VL - 29
SP - 78
EP - 85
JO - Psychotherapy Research
JF - Psychotherapy Research
IS - 1
ER -