Efficacy and executive function of solution-focused brief therapy on adolescent depression

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and impact on executive function of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in treating Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adolescents.

Methods: A total of 129 adolescents diagnosed with MDD were enrolled in the study. Out of these, 28 adolescents were assigned to the SFBT group, while 25 were part of the Active Control group (AC group), receiving psychodynamic psychotherapy. Executive function, depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline, at the time of the third intervention, the sixth intervention, and the 10th intervention.

Results: After the third intervention, the scores of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) of the participants in the SFBT group decreased significantly, which had the cumulative effect at the 6th and 10th interventions. The verbal fluency task (VFT) performances of the SFBT group participants yielded significantly higher scores after the third intervention and remained increasing at the 6th and 10th interventions. The AC group steadily decreased after the intervention. Analysis of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data revealed a progressive and significant increase in the average oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the SFBT group compared to the AC group after the 10th intervention.

Conclusions: SFBT might improve depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as executive function of adolescent depression.

Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2300067909.

Keywords: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy; Major depressive disorder; Solution-Focused Brief therapy; adolescent; psychodynamic psychotherapy.