UQ depression program seeks adolescents

Teenagers with symptoms of depression are needed to participate in an Australian-first depression treatment program at The University of Queensland.

Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) is designed to assist depressed teenagers overcome their symptoms.

“Significant relationship difficulties are a major contributing factor in most cases of adolescent depression,” said IPT-A researcher and PhD student Gabrielle O’Shea.

“The therapy helps adolescents improve their interpersonal skills and develop new strategies to improve relationships with others.”

Ms O’Shea said it was the first time in Australia that Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) had been investigated as a treatment for adolescent depression.

The program is supervised by Professor Sue Spence from UQ’s School of Psychology and is partially funded by beyondblue: the national depression initiative.

Ms O’Shea is currently comparing one-on-one interpersonal therapy with a group format.

She said the aim was to provide a cost-effective, widely available and useful treatment for depression.

“By the time adolescents are 18 years old, approximately 25 percent of them will have experienced at least one episode of depression,” she said.

“Finding effective psychological therapies is vitally important because anti-depressant medications have relatively poor results with this group and if left untreated depression in adolescents is likely to recur.”

People interested in participating in the program, which will be offered until the end of the year, need to be 13–18 years old and not to be on anti-depressant medication.

They will be offered a 12-week therapy program at UQ’s St Lucia campus. Parents are encouraged to participate in some sessions.

For details, telephone 07 3379 3227, 07 3365 6715 or email interpersonaltherapy@psy.uq.edu.au

Media: For further information, contact Gabrielle O’Shea (telephone 07 3379 3227, email goshea@psy.uq.edu.au), Lisa Liberman (telephone 07 3365 6715, email l.liberman@psy.uq.edu.au) or Joanne van Zeeland UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2619).