• Bruce E Compas, Rex Forehand, Jennifer C Thigpen, Gary Keller, Emily J Hardcastle, David A Cole, Jennifer Potts, Kelly H Watson, Aaron Rakow, Christina Colletti, Kristen Reeslund, Jessica Fear, Emily Garai, Laura McKee, M J Merchant, and Lorinda Roberts.
• Department of Psychology and Human Development, VanderbiltUniversity, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. bruce.compas@vanderbilt.edu
• J Consult Clin Psychol. 2011 Aug 1; 79 (4): 488-99.

ObjectiveIn a long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial (Compas et al., 2009) to examine the effects at 18- and 24-month follow-ups of a family group cognitive-behavioral (FGCB) preventive intervention for mental health outcomes for children and parents from families (N = 111) of parents with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodParents with a history of MDD and their 9- to 15-year-old children were randomly assigned to a FGCB intervention or a written information comparison condition. Children's internalizing, externalizing, anxiety/depression, and depressive symptoms; episodes of MDD and other psychiatric diagnoses; and parents' depressive symptoms and episodes of MDD were assessed at 18 and 24 months after randomization.ResultsChildren in the FGCB condition were significantly lower in self-reports of anxiety/depression and internalizing symptoms at 18 months and were significantly lower in self-reports of externalizing symptoms at 18 and 24 months. Rates of MDD were significantly lower for children in the FGCB intervention over the 24-month follow-up (odds ratio = 2.91). Marginal effects were found for parents' symptoms of depression at 18 and 24 months but not for episodes of MDD.ConclusionsSupport was found for a FGCB preventive intervention for children of parents with a history of MDD significantly reducing children's episodes of MDD over a period of 2 years. Significant effects for the FGCB intervention were also found on internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with stronger effects at 18- than at 24-month follow-up.

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