'Teen-friendly' mindfulness therapy aims to help combat depression among teenagers

Researchers have developed a mindfulness therapy tailored specifically to appeal to teenagers to help them cope with increasing levels of depression and mental health problems.

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

Developed by teams at the University of Cambridge and King's College London, the ATTEND program—Adolescents and caregivers using mindfulness Therapy To END depression—also includes sessions for parents and guardians, ensuring a family-centered approach to tackling the problem.

Depression among teenagers is a serious issue in the UK, affecting approximately 140,000 young people aged 15–19. Only about 35,000 receive treatment, and of these, 14,000 do not respond to the treatment while an additional 8,000 relapse after initial success. This highlights an 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 struggle with their mental health but fail to get the support they need through the NHS. Even among those who do receive support, the treatment doesn't work effectively enough for more than half of them.

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

Professor Ford and colleagues from King's College London and the Universities of Exeter and Surrey have developed Mindfulness for Adolescents and Caregivers, 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 avoid relapse. Professor Ford and colleagues have been adapting MBCT to make it more engaging and effective for teenagers.

With the new course, teenagers will attend eight weekly skills-based sessions delivered either in person or online in groups. The ATTEND program is also working with families to design an app that helps participants 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 skills 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 incredibly challenging for families. Parents often struggle to know how to best help their children.

"That's why our course offers separate, parallel training for parents or caregivers alongside the teens' sessions. We hope this will help parents better understand and support their child's recovery, while also potentially improving their own mental health and family relationships."

While MBCT is well-established for adults, its effectiveness for teenagers is still being explored. The ATTEND program is a large-scale trial across England that aims to assess whether Mindfulness for Adolescents and Caregivers is more effective than the 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 continue with their usual care. The researchers will be looking at outcomes such as recovery rates, relapse prevention, and cost-effectiveness compared with standard approaches.

Professor Ford added, "Although our main goal is to see whether our mindfulness course can help teenagers recover from low mood or depression and prevent relapses, we're also interested in the benefits it might provide to their caregivers.

"Equally importantly, we want to see whether this approach—if effective—could be integrated into NHS services. This would ensure that it's accessible to many more teenagers who are 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 beginning. Their input has ensured that the program is tailored to the needs of families and is engaging for both teens and their caregivers.

How to get involved

The ATTEND team is currently recruiting 15- to 18-year-olds experiencing depression or low mood, who have received some treatment but have not fully recovered, to participate in the trial in Cambridge and Peterborough, London, Devon, Sussex, Nottingham, and Oxford. Participants are also offered a financial incentive of £60 each for completing the study.

If you or someone you know is interested in participating, please visit the ATTEND study website for more information.

Provided by University of Cambridge