Twelve-month outcomes and comparative costs of internet-delivered psychodynamic therapy versus cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescent depression: a randomized controlled trial

Category	Detail
Condition	Adolescent major depressive disorder
Key Mechanisms	Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) and internet-delivered psychodynamic therapy (IPDT) provide guided online psychological interventions targeting depressive symptoms
Target Population	Adolescents aged 15–19 with major depressive disorder
Care Setting	Internet-based outpatient psychological treatment

Both ICBT and IPDT show stable treatment gains on depressive and anxiety symptoms at 12-month follow-up with no significant differences between treatments.
No significant differences in treatment costs or healthcare use costs were found between ICBT and IPDT one year post-treatment.
Internet-delivered therapies offer accessible, low-threshold alternatives to traditional face-to-face treatments for adolescent depression.

Use standardized measures such as QIDS-A17-SR for depressive symptoms and GAD-7 for anxiety symptoms in adolescents.

Consider internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) or psychodynamic therapy (IPDT) as viable treatment options for adolescent depression.
Recognize that both ICBT and IPDT can maintain treatment effects up to one year post-intervention.

Monitor depressive and anxiety symptoms longitudinally, including at 12 months post-treatment to assess stability of treatment gains.

Be aware of the high relapse rates and chronic nature of adolescent depression, necessitating long-term follow-up.
Interpret healthcare use data cautiously during periods affected by external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adolescents aged 15–19 diagnosed with major depressive disorder

Both ICBT and IPDT yield comparable clinical outcomes and costs at one year, supporting their use as accessible treatment modalities.

Employ internet-delivered therapies to overcome barriers such as stigma, geographic, financial, and logistical challenges in adolescent mental health care.
Use evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches adapted for online delivery to enhance accessibility and flexibility.
Incorporate cost-effectiveness considerations when selecting treatment modalities for adolescent depression.
Ensure long-term follow-up to monitor maintenance of treatment effects and address potential relapse.

Clinical Scorecard: Outcomes at One Year and Cost Analysis of Internet-Based Psychodynamic Therapy Compared to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Adolescents: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial