Psychotherapy may offer fewer benefits in depressed children

It’s still the best therapy available, researchers say
Reuters
Child

Depressed children and teens may benefit less from psychotherapy than adults do, a new study suggests.

Pooled data from more than 800 previous studies shows that psychotherapy helps young adults the most and children and teens the least, researchers report in JAMA Psychiatry.

International researchers analysed 366 trials, including nearly 37,000 participants, comparing psychotherapy with control conditions.

Overall, the effect sizes for psychotherapy were smaller in children and teens than in adults.