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01-03-2015 | Editorial

Mechanisms of change in psychotherapy for children and adolescents: current state, clinical implications, and methodological and conceptual recommendations for mediation analysis

Authors: Stefanie J. Schmidt, Benno G. Schimmelmann

Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Issue 3/2015

Excerpt

Considerable effort has been made to develop and evaluate psychological treatments in children and adolescents over the last five decades. This resulted in evidence-based treatments for several psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents [1‐3] with moderate average effects compared to standard care [4, 5]. Nevertheless, we still have a limited understanding of the mechanisms of change underlying these treatments [6]. Therefore, moving beyond knowing that a treatment is effective to explaining how its effects occur should become another priority in psychotherapy research in children and adolescents. For example, the beneficial effect of a cognitive–behavioural treatment on depressive symptoms in adolescents may be explained by treatment-induced changes in dysfunctional beliefs [7]. Identifying such mechanisms of change requires the application of mediation analysis to identify the intervening variables (mediators) and processes that account for the association between a specific intervention and the outcome of interest [8]. …

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Title: Mechanisms of change in psychotherapy for children and adolescents: current state, clinical implications, and methodological and conceptual recommendations for mediation analysis
Authors: Stefanie J. Schmidt
Benno G. Schimmelmann
Publication date: 01-03-2015
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry / Issue 3/2015
Print ISSN: 1018-8827
Electronic ISSN: 1435-165X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0698-0

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Mechanisms of change in psychotherapy for children and adolescents: current state, clinical implications, and methodological and conceptual recommendations for mediation analysis

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