Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Prevention Program for Depression in Female Adolescents

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of a preventive program of depression in female adolescents from first grade of secondary school. The program was implemented in two ways: 1) Indicated: Applied to patients with subthreshold depressive symptoms (experimental group N=101: control group N=108) 2) Universal applied to a class comprised only by girls (experimental group=119: control group N=118). The program had 11 sessions. that lasted 1,5 hours each. with 15 to 23 participants per group. The impact of the program was measured in terms of anxiety, self-damage behavior, and externalized behavior. The program did not show effects in any of the two modalities. The Indicated modality obtained more satisfaction in the group of participants. The limitations of the study and implications for preventive programs in mental health are discussed.