Comparing apples and oranges in youth depression treatments? A quantitative critique of the evidence base and guidelines.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Should a young person receive psychotherapy or medication for their depression and on what evidence do we base this decision? In this paper, we test the factors across modalities that may influence comparability between medication and psychotherapy trials.

Methods

We included 92 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psychotherapy and medication for child and adolescent depression (mean age 4-18 years). Using meta-analyses, we compared (a) participant characteristics and (b) trial characteristics in medication and psychotherapy trials. Lastly, we examined whether psychotherapy controls are well-matched to active conditions.

Results

Participants in medication RCTs had higher depression severity and were more frequently male compared with psychotherapy RCTs.

SUBMITTER: Stringaris A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11752052 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature