Abstract
Objective The efficacy of antidepressant drugs combined with psychotherapy is controversial; hence, this meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy of the combination therapy. Methods Relevant literature was searched in PubMed, Web of Science and Embase, Chinese databases CNKI, and WanFang Data. We included the literature on the comparison of the sertraline combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and each treatment alone for adolescent depression published in 2000-2021. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata16.0 software. Results A total of 421 relevant articles were retrieved, and 14 studies were finally included. In comparison with the control group (sertraline), sertraline combined with CBT achieved higher response rate (OR = 5.07, 95% CI: 3.00, 8.58) and lower incidence of adverse reactions (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.75). Before treatment, there were no significant differences in depression score, anxiety score, and symptom self-rating scale score between the two groups. After treatment, depression score (SMD = −2.79, 95% CI: -3.64, -1.94), anxiety score (SMD = −1.22, 95% CI: -1.96, -0.47), and symptom self-rating scale score (SMD = −1.73, 95% CI: -3.19, -0.27) were significantly lower in the combined treatment group than in the control group. Conclusion Although the number of comparative trials is small, this study shows that sertraline is effective for adolescent depression, but sertraline combined with CBT is more effective. The latter can significantly reduce the incidence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and adverse reactions in patients. Therefore, this combination therapy is recommended for the clinical treatment of adolescent depression.
Highlights
Depression is a common psychiatric disorder, especially in adolescence
It has been reported that in the United States, the lifetime prevalence of depression in adolescents aged 15 to 18 years is 11%-14%; it is estimated that 20% of adolescents have major depressive disorder (MDD) at the age of 18 years, and approximately 25% are considered to have subthreshold depressive symptoms that lead to difficulties in daily functioning [2]
Literature that met all of the following criteria were included: (1) study design: randomized controlled trial, clinical trial, and cohort study; (2) study subjects: adolescent patients diagnosed with depression; (3) intervention: treatment group was treated with sertraline
Summary
Depression is a common psychiatric disorder, especially in adolescence. Depressive disorder is a comprehensive disorder with multiple features, such as depressed mood, retardation of thinking, psychomotor retardation, cognitive impairment, and somatic symptoms [1]. It has been reported that in the United States, the lifetime prevalence of depression in adolescents aged 15 to 18 years is 11%-14%; it is estimated that 20% of adolescents have major depressive disorder (MDD) at the age of 18 years, and approximately 25% are considered to have subthreshold depressive symptoms that lead to difficulties in daily functioning [2]. Among the various causes of adolescent depression, external factors are the main ones leading to psychological or neurological disorders and depression; the further development of depression into MDD is associated with interpersonal difficulties and decreased academic performance and obesity [4]. The danger is that depression can induce suicidality, especially depression in childhood or adolescence; 48% of patients with early-onset depression made a suicide attempt, while 26% of adults with depression reported a suicide attempt [6]. Given the high risk of suicide in children and adolescents, it is crucial to explore effective treatment of depression for them
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
