Family Treatment Approaches for Depression in Adolescent Males

Adolescent depression is a serious and common disorder. Though adolescent males are less likely to report depression than females, they have serious risks associated with the disorder, like suicide, future substance abuse, and illegal activity. Several gender differences have been observed among depressed adolescents and should be considered in assessment and treatment. Little efficacy research exists for family treatments of depression in adolescent males, though several approaches have been proposed. These approaches include Structural Family Therapy, Interpersonal Family Therapy, and Attachment-Based Family Therapy. These treatments have been found useful in clinical settings, but much more efficacy research is necessary.