CBT for Depression in Children and Adolescents

Betsy D. Kennard, PsyD, ABPP, a clinical psychologist, is Professor in Psychiatry and Director of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) at the Pediatric Psychiatry Research Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (UT Southwestern) and Children’s Health System of Texas. Dr. Kennard also serves as Program Director of the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at UT Southwestern and Clinical Director of the Suicide Prevention and Resilience Program at Children’s Health. Her research focuses on developing and testing effective treatments for depression and suicidal behavior in adolescents. Jennifer L. Hughes, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Children’s Health, is Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at UT Southwestern. Dr. Hughes has worked as a therapist and treatment developer. Her research focuses on the efficacy and effectiveness of psychosocial approaches to the prevention and treatment of depression and suicide in youth, and the dissemination of evidence-based treatments to the community. Aleksandra A. Foxwell, PhD, is a clinical psychologist at the Student Wellness and Counseling Services and Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at UT Southwestern. Her research and clinical interests focus on using evidence-based treatments for depression, anxiety, and other disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. Dr. Foxwell also trains and supervises students and interns in using CBT for the treatment of depression.

1. Introduction
2. Overview and Rationale
3. Assessing Clients and Planning Treatment
4. How to Use This Treatment Manual
5. Session 1: CBT and Relapse Prevention Program Overview/Rationale, and Establishing Timeline and Goals
6. Session 2: Behavioral Coping Skills and Family Expressed Emotion
7. Session 3: Cognitive Restructuring and Identifying Unhelpful Thoughts
8. Session 4: Problem Solving
9. Session 5: Identifying Skills for Maintaining Wellness and Building the Wellness Plan
10. Sessions 6 and 7: Practice and Application of Core Skills
11. Session 8: Relapse Prevention Plan and Wellness Plan
12. Graduation Session and Booster Sessions
13. Future Directions
Appendix. Supplemental Materials
Handouts for Parents