"I just have to stick with it and it'll work": experiences of adolescents and young adults with mental health concerns.

Mental health issues are common among adolescents and young adults but service utilization in this group is low. This study aimed to better understand the experiences of older adolescents and young adults who were experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, including the factors that affected their decision to seek treatment and their feelings about their experience of mental health issues. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 older adolescents and young adults. Participants tended to have a sophisticated understanding of the causes of mental disorders, but to have been unsure about whether their own experiences of depression or anxiety were the result of a mental disorder, or just "normal" experiences. They reported concerns about taking medication and about keeping information about their condition private. They also felt that it was important to them to be active participants in their own care.

A meta-analysis of CBT for pathological worry among clients with GAD.

Previous meta-analyses assessing the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) used general measures of anxiety to assess symptom severity and improvement (e.g., Hamilton Anxiety Ratings Scale or a composite measure of anxiety). While informative, these studies do not provide sufficient evidence as to whether CBT significantly reduces the cardinal symptom of GAD: pathological worry. The current meta-analysis employed stringent inclusion criteria to evaluate relevant outcome studies, including the use of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire as the main outcome variable. Results showed a large overall effect size (ES) that was moderated by age and modality of treatment. Specifically, the largest gains were found for younger adults and for individual treatment. Analyses also revealed overall maintenance of gains at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Clinical implications of different treatment packages are discussed, as well as potential explanations for the differential effectiveness of CBT.

Normative data on cognitive measures of depression.

The assessment of cognition and cognitive change is important for case conceptualization, monitoring the efficacy of specific interventions, and evaluating treatment outcome in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Unfortunately, a paucity of normative data exists on cognitive measures used for psychotherapy outcome research in depression, and little information is available to guide a practitioner's understanding of the magnitude and clinical significance of a patient's cognitive change. This article presents normative data on 6 self-report instruments that assess negative and positive automatic thoughts, hopelessness, cognitive biases and errors, and dysfunctional attitudes. Normative data were derived from studies published from the date of inception of a given cognitive index to the year 2000. Recommendations for the use of these normative data are provided.