In today’s New York Times, Pam Belluck reports on a new study from the Archives of General Psychiatry, and efficacy of treatments for adolescent depression.

About half of adolescents who recovered from major depression became depressed again within five years, regardless of what treatment or therapy they received to get over their initial depression

In the study, nearly 200 adolescents, 12 to 17, received 12 weeks of fluoxetine (Prozac), cognitive behavioral therapy, both, or a placebo pill. (Those not receiving cognitive therapy met with a psychiatrist for basic support.) Placebo-takers who did not improve after 12 weeks could choose any of the other treatments.

Researchers had previously found that those receiving the Prozac-and-cognitive-therapy combination recovered faster from the first depression. So they expected those youths to be less prone to another depression.

But that did not happen. After 36 weeks, improvement for everyone was similar, researchers said, and by two years most completely recovered. But by five years, 47 percent suffered another major depression, no matter what treatment had helped them recover.

The researchers also expected that youths who improved almost fully during the 12 weeks would have less chance of recurrence. They did not, although those showing no improvement at all at 12 weeks were more prone to another depression after recovery than those who showed at least some progress during the 12 weeks. Teenagers who also suffered from anxiety were more likely to become depressed again.

I’ve posted (eg. in March) here many times before on depression: it is progressive, it is chronic, it needs to be attacked aggressively. In my family’s own personal experience it is devastating if not treated.

Dr. Curry said one limitation to the study was that researchers did not look at specific events in the youths’ lives to see if some encountered more stress than others.

I’ve also posted recently (and in August) that having the parents involved in therapy helps. That doesn’t appear to have been considered in this study. My personal theory is that the parents could use the therapy just as much as the kids. We learn so little about how to parent. We do it seat of the pants. And of course we parents may have issues all of our own.