‘Teen-friendly’ mindfulness therapy aims to help combat depression

Researchers have developed a mindfulness therapy specifically tailored to teens to help them cope with rising rates of depression and mental health issues.

The approach teaches participants to tune into and manage negative thought patterns that can cause or maintain depression, and instead allow them to focus on the present moment.

Developed by teams from the University of Cambridge and King’s College London ATTEND program – Aadolescents and caregivers using mindfulness Therapy TO END depression – also includes sessions for parents and guardians, ensuring a family-oriented approach to the problem. The program is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Teenage depression is a serious problem in Britain, affecting around 140,000 young people aged 15 to 19. Only about 35,000 receive treatment, and of these 14,000 do not respond to treatment, while another 8,000 relapse after initial success. This underlines the urgent need for more effective and sustainable solutions.

Professor Tamsin Ford, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said: “Too many young people are struggling with their mental health but are not getting the support they need through the NHS. Even among those who do receive support, the treatment is not effective enough for more than half of them.

“We know that mindfulness courses for adults can help people living with depression, but what might work for an adult is likely to be different to what will work for a teenager. That’s why we’ve developed a more ‘teen-friendly’ therapy that is more engaging and, we hope, more effective.”

^{Professor Tamsin Ford}

Professor Ford and colleagues from King’s College London and the Universities of Exeter and Surrey have developed Mindfulness for Adolescents and Carers, a program based on the highly regarded Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

MBCT is an evidence-based treatment recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for adults with recurrent depression. It combines mindfulness techniques with cognitive behavioral approaches to help individuals prevent relapse. Professor Ford and his team have adapted MBCT to make it more attractive and effective for teenagers.

With the new course, teens will attend eight weekly skills-based sessions, delivered in person or online in groups. The ATTEND program is also working with families to design an app that allows participants to reinforce the skills they learn between sessions.

Unlike traditional MBCT, Mindfulness for Adolescents and Caregivers includes sessions for both teens and their parents or caregivers. There are also more movement breaks, shorter skill practice sessions, snacks and teen-friendly activities.

Professor Patrick Smith, Professor of Clinical Psychology at King’s College London, said: “Supporting a teenager with depression can be a huge challenge for families. Parents often struggle to know how to best help their children. That is why our course also offers separate, parallel training for parents or caregivers in addition to the teen sessions.”

“We hope this will help parents better understand and support their child’s recovery, while potentially improving their own mental health and family relationships.”

^{Professor Patrick Smit}

Although MBCT for adults is well established, its effectiveness for teens is still being researched. The ATTEND program is a large-scale trial across England that aims to assess whether Mindfulness for adolescents and carers is more effective than current NHS treatments available for depression.

The team aims to recruit 480 teenagers and their parents, half of whom will participate in the mindfulness groups, while the other half will continue with usual care. The researchers will look at outcomes such as recovery rates, relapse prevention and cost-effectiveness compared to standard approaches.

Professor Ford added: “While our main aim is to see whether our mindfulness course can help teenagers recover from low mood or prevent depression and relapse, we are also interested in the benefits it can bring to their carers.

“Just as importantly, we want to see whether this approach – if effective – can be integrated into NHS services. This would make it accessible to many more teenagers struggling with their mental health.”

Young people and parents who have experienced depression have been involved in the design of the ATTEND program from the start. Their input has ensured that the program is tailored to the needs of families and attractive to both teenagers and their caregivers.