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Prevention of Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls

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Girls at Risk

Part of the book series: Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development ((ARAD))

Abstract

The incidence of depression increases rapidly during adolescence, when almost 50% of all adolescents report subclinical levels of depression. However, girls are overrepresented in these figures. In fact, girls of all ages are less happy with life than their boy peers. Depression and depression-related issues are a huge problem for individuals as well as for society. Elevated, but subclinical, levels of depression have been shown to be one of the strongest predictors of future episodes of depression. The presence of depressive symptoms during youth predicts not only depression, but also an increased long-term risk of substance use, employment problems, and marital difficulties. Hence, the problem is common, and the potential consequences diverse and severe. Prevention programs need to target multiple components as the causes of depression are multifaceted as well as having multiple outcome measures. This Swedish study includes 61 girls who attended the DISA-program (intervention group) and 126 girls who were on waiting list (control group). The DISA is a prevention program targeting depression, which is based on cognitive-behavioral methods. The results of the evaluation suggest that a cognitive-behavioral universal intervention, with the present selection of girls, and delivered in schools, can be successful in preventing depressive symptoms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Reproductive and Perinatal Health Care, Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Britt-Marie Treutiger

  2. Division of Applied Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lene Lindberg

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  1. Britt-Marie Treutiger
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  2. Lene Lindberg
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Correspondence to Britt-Marie Treutiger .

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  1. Dept. Psychology, University of Orebro, Orebro, 701 82, Sweden

    Anna-Karin Andershed

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Treutiger, BM., Lindberg, L. (2013). Prevention of Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls. In: Andershed, AK. (eds) Girls at Risk. Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4130-4_4

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