Researchers are reimagining how teenagers can fight depression—by teaching them to be present, breathe, and break free from the grip of negative thoughts.
The new mindfulness therapy developed by experts at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London is called ATTEND and is an acronym for “Adolescents and carers using mindfulness Therapy To END depression.” It is designed to offer hope where traditional approaches have fallen short.
Addressing Treatment Gaps in Teenage Depression
Depression among teenagers is a pressing issue in the UK, affecting about 140,000 young people ages 15 to 19. However, fewer than 35,000 receive treatment. Among those treated, about 14,000 do not respond to the therapy, while an additional 8,000 experience relapses after showing initial improvement. Worldwide, a significant portion of teenagers with depression experience treatment failure, with estimates suggesting that about 40 percent of adolescents remain depressed even after initial treatment for depression.
George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.
