Depressive Symptoms and Clinical Status During the Treatment of Adolescent Suicide Attempters (TASA) Study

• NCJ Number: 228676
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 48 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2009 Pages: 997-1004
• Author(s): Benedetto Vitiello, M.D.; David A. Brent, M.D.; Laurence L. Greenhill, M.D.; Graham Emslie, M.D.; Karen Wells, Ph.D.; John T. Walkup, M.D.; Barbara Stanley, Ph.D.; Oscar Bukstein, M.D.; Betsy D. Kennard, Psy.D.; Scott Compton, Ph.D.; Barbara Coffey, M.D.; Mary F. Cwik, Ph.D.; Kelly Posner, Ph.D.; Ann Wagner, Ph.D.; John S. March, M.D.; Mark Riddle, M.D.; Tina Goldstein, Ph.D.; John Curry, Ph.D.; Lisa Capasso, B.A.; Taryn Mayes, M.S.; Sa Shen, Ph.D.; S. Sonia Gugga, M.S.; J. Blake Turner, Ph.D.; Shannon Barnett, M.D.; Jamie Zelazny, B.S.N., M.P.H
• Date Published: October 2009
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH66750; MH66769; MH66762; MH66775; MH66778
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study reports on changes in the ratings of depressive symptoms, global scores of illness severity, and level of functioning observed among 124 adolescents with a 90-day history of suicide attempts and a current diagnosis of depressive disorder, based on testing during 24 weeks of participation in the Treatment of Adolescent Suicide Attempters Study (TASA).

Abstract

The study found that when vigorously treated with a combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy (cognitive behavioral therapy), adolescents with depression who had recently attempted suicide showed rates of improvement and remission of depression that were comparable to those observed in nonsuicidal adolescents with depression. Most patients (84 percent) chose treatment assignment; 93 received the combination of medication and psychotherapy. In this group, the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) declined from a baseline adjusted mean of 49.6 to 38.3 at week 12 and to 27.0 at week 24, with a Clinical Global Impression-defined improvement rate of 58 percent at week 12 and 72.2 percent at week 24. The CDRS-R and the Scale for Suicidal Ideation scores were correlated at baseline and declined in parallel. The 6-month TASA treatment involved antidepressant medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy focused on suicide prevention, or a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Treatment assignment could be either random or chosen by study participants. Intent-to-treat, mixed effects regression models of depression, and other relevant ratings were estimated. Improvement and remission rates were computed, with the last observation carried forward. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 26 references