Influence of in-person and remote Satir family therapy on emotions and behavior of adolescents with major depressive disorder

Abstract

BackgroundMajor depressive disorder in adolescents is characterized by high prevalence rate, high recurrence rate, high suicide rate and high disability rate. However, the recognition rate and cure rate are low, and the disease has a very bad influence on the family and society. The lack of psychiatrists and psychotherapists in villages and small towns makes it difficult to get timely and professional intervention and treatment for adolescent with major depressive disorder. MethodsA total of 84 adolescents with major depressive disorder who received treatment in the department of psychosomatic medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University participated in this survey, and they were divided into the control group and the intervention group by random number table. Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury Assessment Questionnaire (ANSSIAQ), Self-rating Questionnaire for Adolescent Problematic Mobile Phone Use (SQAPMPU), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and Depression Self-Rating Scale for Childhood (DSRS) were used to investigate the negative emotions and behavior of adolescents with major depressive disorder at baseline and intervention for 12 weeks. ResultsThere were no significant differences in the baseline information of adolescents (sex ratio, age, education level), including the total score of SCARED, DSRS and SQAPMPU, the total mean score of ANSSIAQ between the two groups (P > 0.05). After 12-week intervention, the score of SCARED, DSRS and SQAPMPU, the total mean score of ANSSIAQ in both groups were lower than that of the baseline, and the score of the intervention group showed a more obvious downward trend (P < 0.05). ConclusionsIn-person and remote Satir family therapy not only effectively reduced the anxiety and depression level among participants, but also validly reduced their non-suicidal self-injury behavior and mobile phone use behavior. The results verified that the model we adopted can be well applied for the out-patient management of adolescents with major depressive disorder, especially in villages and small towns.