Depression is a common and impairing disorder which is a serious public health problem. For some individuals, depression has a chronic course and is recurrent, particularly when its onset is during adolescence. The purpose of the current paper was to review the clinical trials conducted between 1980 and 2020 in adolescents with a primary diagnosis of a depressive disorder, excluding indicated prevention trials for depressive symptomatology. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the pre-eminent treatment and is well established from an evidence-based treatment perspective. The body of research on the remaining treatments is smaller and the status of these treatments is varied: interpersonal therapy (IPT) is well established; family therapy (FT) is possibly effective; and short-term psychoanalytic therapy (PT) is experimental treatment. Implementation of the two treatments that work well—CBT and IPT—has more support when provided individually as compared to in groups. Research on depression treatments has been expanding through using transdiagnostic and modular protocols, implementation through information and communication technologies, and indicated prevention programs. Despite significant progress, however, questions remain regarding the rate of non-response to treatment, the fading of specific treatment effects over time, and the contribution of parental involvement in therapy.

This study addressed the development and evaluation of the Smile Program whose main objective was the prevention of depression and the promotion of well-being in adolescents. The program is based on interventions that have been shown to be efficacious (a cognitive-behavioral approach). Participants were 89 adolescents (mean age = 13.88 years; SD = 0.95) recruited from a sample of 1212 students from seven schools. Results showed a significant reduction in self-reported depressive symptoms in the intervention group (n= 51) as compared to youth in the control group (n= 38). Based on parents’ report (n=56), youth in the intervention group had significantly better self-esteem at post-test as compared to youth in the control group. At four months post intervention, youth in the intervention group had higher psychological well-being than those in the control group; at the 8-month follow-up, youth in the intervention condition reported better family self-concept.

La pandemia del COVID-19 y las medidas de distanciamiento social han supuesto un impacto negativo en la salud mental. El objetivo principal es estudiar el papel de la resiliencia como factor protector, ante el impacto de la pandemia y el confinamiento del COVID-19. La muestra fue de 179 participantes con una media de edad de 40,85 años (DE = 13,7). Los análisis indican que la resiliencia predice de forma muy significativa el bienestar psicológico y el estado de ánimo y es un factor protector ante el estrés postraumático. En menor medida para la facilidad de llevar la pandemia que puede estar mediado por otros factores. Los efectos de la pandemia y el confinamiento parecen haber elevado de forma muy significativa los síntomas de estrés postraumático. Las mujeres presentan más estrés postraumático y menos bienestar psicológico. El grupo de edad más afectado es el de los jóvenes (18-25 años).

El estado de pandemia y cuarentena provocado por el COVID-19 ha supuesto un verdadero reto para todos los países, instituciones, organizaciones familias y personas del planeta. Las pandemias se sucederán en los próximos años y, lejos de caer en el catastrofismo, podemos estar preparados, hacerles frente con determinación y cooperación. En este artículo se revisa el impacto psicológico de las cuarentenas y epidemias pasadas y de la pandemia actual así como el importante papel de la Psicología ante estos hechos. Se revisan intervenciones pasadas para prevenir problemas emocionales y promocionar el bienestar y se describe el Programa Resiliencia y Bienestar: <> cuyos objetivos son la prevención de problemas emocionales, la promoción del bienestar y la detección e intervención precoz ante los efectos de la cuarentena y pandemia originada por el COVID-19. Por último se propone líneas de intervención e investigación para fortalecer comunidades mediante la resiliencia proactiva.

Promotion of Resilience and Emotional Self-Care in Families and Health Professionals in Times of COVID-19

A pilot study was conducted with the primary objective to study the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral intervention inspired by the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP; Gillham, Jaycox, Reivich, Seligman, & Silver, 1990; Seligman, Reivich, Jaycox, & Gillham, 2005), for the prevention of depression in students from primary education. The main components of the program include modifying explanatory style and resolving interpersonal problems. Results indicated that there was significant improvement from pre-test to post-test in the experimental group for children with "high depressive symptoms" compared with controls. Qualitative analysis were consistent with this trend. Conclusions in light of these results ae discussed and potential directions for future research are recommended.