Treatment Of Depressed Mothers To Depressed Children

This pilot study examined the feasibility of treating depressed mothers who brought their depressed children for treatment. Nine mothers completed a 12-week treatment of interpersonal psychotherapy. Both mothers and children showed improvements in depressive symptoms and social functioning over the course of treatment based on evaluations at weeks 0, 6, and 12. Improvement in maternal depression was associated with improved social functioning in children, though not reductions in child depressive symptoms. However, it was difficult to engage depressed mothers in treatment when they came primarily for their child's treatment.