Research

This paper merges data from 4 trials to provide more statistical power to detect prevention effects. The Blues Program resulted in significantly lower major depression onset rates compared to an educational brochure for 6-months post-intervention and also lower major depression onset compared to bibliotherapy for 2-years post-intervention.

This paper presents the long-term (2-year) effects for the Blues Program when school staff delivered it. Adolescents receiving the Blues Program had significantly lower rates of major depression onset compared to those getting bibliotherapy (10% vs. 25%, respectively) but not those who received an educational brochure control (17% onset rate of major depression).

This paper examined moderators of the Blues Program group or bibliotherapy in the effectiveness trial. Only one of eight variables moderated the effects of a prevention intervention: bibliotherapy appeared effective only in participants who have elevated depressive symptoms at baseline.

This study examined 5 potential moderators in the efficacy trial, finding that effects for the Blues Program did not differ from controls when adolescents had high levels or substance use or negative life events.

This paper reports the acute (6-month) effects of our effectiveness trial evaluating the Blues Program group prevention compared to bibliotherapy and brochure control when school staff recruited participants and delivered the intervention. Adolescents receiving the Blues Program had significantly lower rates of future major depression compared to both bibliotherapy and controls but differences on the continuous measures were small or nonsignificant.