Dr. Karen Schwartz, assistant professor of Counseling, co-authored two chapters in the latest edition of the American Psychological Association’s “Handbook of Depression,” a comprehensive look at current scholarship and research on depression.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to work with folks who were invited by the editors to contribute chapters to the Handbook,” she said. “The first volume covers content about depression itself, like how symptoms manifest, common comorbid conditions, and how they co-occur, while the chapters in the second volume are more focused on differences in symptom expression across development and cultures, as well as how depression is assessed and treated.”

Along with colleagues from the University of Maryland, University of Illinois Chicago, and Richmond Family Psychology, Schwartz published the chapter, “Co-Occurring ADHD, Disruptive Behavior Disorders, and Depression,” in the Handbook’s first volume. 

According to Schwartz, depression has previously been separated from “externalizing” conditions like ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders, so the conditions were rarely thought about in the same sentence, let alone the same person.

“ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders like oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder are each risk factors for depression and can co-occur with depression, particularly in adolescence,” Schwartz said. “We hope this chapter helps folks understand how [ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders] can operate together to build awareness, reduce stigma, and increase people’s ability to get the appropriate support they need.”

Schwartz also was part of a team of authors that published the chapter, “Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression in Youth,” in the Handbook’s second volume. Her co-authors include researchers from Columbia University, University of Pittsburgh, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is an evidence-based intervention for depression originally developed for adults. IPT has since been downward-adapted to address concerns in kids, leading to IPT becoming a well-established intervention option for depression in youth. She gave credit to her colleagues for making this possible.

“Dr. Laura Mufson first adapted IPT to be delivered as an individual treatment for adolescent depression,” Schwartz explained. “Dr. Laura Dietz further adapted the program to reduce symptoms of depression among pre-teens in her family-based IPT program, and Dr. Jami Young amended Dr. Mufson’s program to create a depression prevention program for adolescents with subclinical symptoms of depression, predominantly implemented in schools and primary care (IPT-Adolescent Skills Training). Our hope with this chapter is that folks will become more aware of IPT as a viable intervention option that families can consider when engaging in care.”

Those interested in checking out the Handbook are invited to stop by Dr. Schwartz’s office.