Cognitive-behavioral therapy of depressive disorder in children and adolescents

• Main Authors: Simona Sanda, Tinkara Smeh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovenian Psychologists' Association 2020-03-01
• Series: Psihološka Obzorja
• Subjects: child; adolescent; depressive disorder; cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Online Access: http://psiholoska-obzorja.si/arhiv_clanki/2020/kvt-sanda_smeh.pdf

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has emerged as a recognized therapeutic method for treating depression in children and adolescents. This article examines the use of CBT for the treatment of depression in children and adolescents. It provides some basic theoretical concepts along with the description of the symptoms of depression in different developmental stages, the description of the therapeutic plan and goals, the description of the key and effective CBT techniques, which are used with children and adolescents with depression. The issue of evaluating suicidality is also presented. In view of the fact that nowadays we know much more about depressive disorder in children and adolescents than we did in the past, and that we are aware of the prevalence of this disorder, it is important to be acquainted with some theoretical and practical guidelines regarding CBT that can provide us with opportunities for our own professional experience and therapeutic success.