SHORT-TERM PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION

Summary

This book presents a structured, time-limited psychoanalytic approach for treating adolescents with moderate to severe depression. The treatment model consists of 28 weekly sessions with the adolescent and seven sessions with parents or carers, making it suitable for use within public mental health services.

The authors explain adolescent depression from a psychoanalytic perspective, focusing on emotional development, relationships, unconscious conflicts, and the adolescent’s experience of difficulties within family and peer relationships. The manual describes the different stages of treatment and explains how therapists can help adolescents explore their thoughts, feelings, relationships, and underlying emotional conflicts.

An important aspect of the approach is the parallel work with parents or carers. The therapist considers the adolescent within their wider relational environment rather than treating the depression as an isolated individual problem. Overall, the book aims to show how a focused psychoanalytic treatment can help depressed adolescents develop greater understanding of their emotional experiences and improve their capacity to manage relationships and developmental challenges.