Teen years are often a time when feelings of sadness and worry naturally get worse. This study asked if special programs could stop that slide. Researchers looked at 204 teenagers with an average age of 14.26 years. They offered them evidence-based tools like cognitive-behavioral programs or interpersonal therapy designed to help them handle stress better.
The results were encouraging for these young people. At the three-month check-in, the programs reduced their personal depression and anxiety scores significantly. By the 21-month mark, those improvements were still holding strong. The data shows a real drop in symptoms compared to the teens' own starting points before they joined the programs.
No serious safety issues or side effects were reported during the study. However, keep in mind that this research focused on a specific group of adolescents. While the findings support using these proven tools to help bend the natural rise of internalizing symptoms, more research is needed to see if these results apply to all teens everywhere.