Treating Depression in Adolescents

By Michelle Trudeau

Published June 4, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

It's estimated that one of every 20 adolescents suffers from clinical depression. When depression begins during the teenage years, the risks are significant. Depressive episodes can reoccur and interrupt important learning and development. And among depressed teens, suicide is a significant risk, making it imperative to identify and treat young people quickly and effectively, say experts.

Among the newer antidepressant drugs, only Prozac is approved for children and teens. But as NPR's Michelle Trudeau reports, one particular type of psychotherapy has proven especially effective in alleviating depression in young people: cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT.

Michelle Trudeau

Michelle Trudeau began her radio career in 1981, filing stories for NPR from Beijing and Shanghai, China, where she and her husband lived for two years. She began working as a science reporter and producer for NPR's Science Desk since 1982. Trudeau's news reports and feature stories, which cover the areas of human behavior, child development, the brain sciences, and mental health, air on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

See stories by Michelle Trudeau

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