Prevention of depression in youth: A qualitative review and future suggestions

Since 1990, significant efforts have been made towards developing interventions to prevent depression in youth. Meta-analyses of preventive interventions have consistently yielded small but significant effect sizes in the short-term prevention of depression. However, the maintenance of intervention effects over extended follow-ups ranging from 6 months to 3 years has not been consistently demonstrated. In this qualitative review, significant methodological issues that continue to be of concern are discussed. Illustrative studies are described to highlight the accomplishments and limitations of interventions to date. Particular areas in need of attention include the implementation of booster sessions, use of appropriate statistical analyses, examination of multiple outcome variables, augmentation of protective factors, and exploration of mediators and moderators of intervention effects. Future directions for the field of depression prevention are outlined.