PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT of DEPRESSION in COLLEGE STUDENTS: A METAANALYSIS
Cuijpers P, Cristea IA, Ebert D, Koot HM, Auerbach RP, Bruffaerts R, Kessler RC, Berking M (2016)
Publication Status: Published
Publication Type: Journal article, Review article
Publication year: 2016
Journal
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Inc.
Book Volume: 33
Pages Range: 400-414
Journal Issue: 5
DOI: 10.1002/da.22461
Abstract
Background Expanded efforts to detect and treat depression among college students, a peak period of onset, have the potential to bear high human capital value from a societal perspective because depression increases college withdrawal rates. However, it is not clear whether evidence-based depression therapies are as effective in college students as in other adult populations. The higher levels of cognitive functioning and IQ and higher proportions of first-onset cases might lead to treatment effects being different among college students relative to the larger adult population. Methods We conducted a metaanalysis of randomized trials comparing psychological treatments of depressed college students relative to control groups and compared effect sizes in these studies to those in trials carried out in unselected populations of depressed adults. Results The 15 trials on college students satisfying study inclusion criteria included 997 participants. The pooled effect size of therapy versus control was g = 0.89 (95% CI: 0.66-1.11; NNT = 2.13) with moderate heterogeneity (I = 57; 95% CI: 23-72). None of these trials had low risk of bias. Effect sizes were significantly larger when students were not remunerated (e.g. money, credit), received individual versus group therapy, and were in trials that included a waiting list control group. No significant difference emerged in comparing effect sizes among college students versus adults either in simple mean comparisons or in multivariate metaregression analyses. Conclusions This metaanalysis of trials examining psychological treatments of depression in college students suggests that these therapies are effective and have effect sizes comparable to trials carried out among depressed adults.
Authors with CRIS profile
David Ebert
Lehrstuhl für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie
Matthias Berking
Lehrstuhl für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie
Involved external institutions
Harvard University
United States (USA) (US)
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) / Catholic University of Leuven
Belgium (BE)
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) / University Amsterdam
Netherlands (NL)
Babeș-Bolyai University / Babeș–Bolyai Tudományegyetem / Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai (UBB)
Romania (RO)
United States (USA) (US)
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) / Catholic University of Leuven
Belgium (BE)
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) / University Amsterdam
Netherlands (NL)
Babeș-Bolyai University / Babeș–Bolyai Tudományegyetem / Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai (UBB)
Romania (RO)
How to cite
APA:
Cuijpers, P., Cristea, I.A., Ebert, D., Koot, H.M., Auerbach, R.P., Bruffaerts, R.,... Berking, M. (2016). PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT of DEPRESSION in COLLEGE STUDENTS: A METAANALYSIS. Depression and Anxiety, 33(5), 400-414. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/da.22461
MLA:
Cuijpers, Pim, et al. "PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT of DEPRESSION in COLLEGE STUDENTS: A METAANALYSIS." Depression and Anxiety 33.5 (2016): 400-414.
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