Researchers are reimagining how teenagers can fight depression—by teaching them to be present, breathe, and break free from the grip of negative thoughts.

The new mindfulness therapy developed by experts at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London is called ATTEND and stands for “Adolescents and carers using mindfulness Therapy To END depression.” It is designed to offer hope where traditional approaches have fallen short.

Addressing Treatment Gaps in Teenage Depression

Depression among teenagers is a pressing issue in the United Kingdom, affecting approximately 140,000 young people aged 15 to 19. However, fewer than 35,000 receive treatment. Among those treated, about 14,000 do not respond to the therapy, while an additional 8,000 experience relapses after showing initial improvement. Worldwide, a significant portion of teenagers with depression experience treatment failure, with estimates suggesting that around 40 percent of adolescents remain depressed even after initial treatment for depression.

“Too many young people struggle with their mental health but fail to get the support they need through the NHS (UK National Health Service),” professor Tamsin Ford, head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said in a press statement. “Even among those who do receive support, the treatment doesn’t work effectively enough for more than half of them.”

Tailoring Approaches to Teenage Needs

When it comes to depression, what works for adults might not work for teens.

Teens are different from adults in their developmental processes, emotional management, and social engagement, so there is a need to tailor mindfulness therapy accordingly, Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a New York City-based neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, which specializes in neuropsychological assessments for adults and children, told The Epoch Times.

“Their shorter attention spans and delicate emotions need movement breaks and shorter session lengths to keep them engaged,” she noted. “Teens are also struggling with identity and peer relations, which shape their coping processes when they are stressed or upset.”

Family involvement can bolster therapy by strengthening teens’ support systems, Hafeez added. “Such adjustments are designed to make mindfulness more sustainable, practical, and useful for them,” she noted.

Researchers have adapted mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), a form of psychotherapy recommended by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for adults with recurrent depression, to be more engaging and effective for a younger audience.

Parents to Take an Active Role in Treatment

The ATTEND program includes eight weekly skills-based sessions offered in both in-person and online group formats. Unlike conventional MBCT, the ATTEND program features parallel sessions for both teenagers and their parents or caregivers, incorporating movement breaks, shorter practice sessions, snacks, and activities that resonate with teens.

“Supporting a teenager with depression can be incredibly challenging for families,” Patrick Smith, professor of clinical psychology at King’s College London, said in the press statement. “Parents often struggle to know how to best help their children,” he noted. “That’s why our course offers separate, parallel training for parents or carers alongside the teens’ sessions.”

Smith said he hoped this would help parents better understand and support their child’s recovery “while also potentially improving their own mental health and family relationships.”

Research Goals and Participant Recruitment

The ATTEND initiative represents a large-scale trial across England to assess whether the mindfulness program is more effective than current NHS treatments for depression, which primarily include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a talking therapy alongside antidepressant medication, usually in the form of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), depending on the severity of the depression.

The research team plans to recruit 480 teenagers and their parents, with half participating in the mindfulness groups and the other half continuing with standard care. Outcomes will include recovery rates, relapse prevention, and cost-effectiveness.

The ATTEND program, funded by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research, also includes sessions for parents and guardians to create family-centered strategies to tackle mental health problems.

“Although our main goal is to see whether our mindfulness course can help teenagers recover from low mood or depression and prevent relapses, we’re also interested in the benefits it might provide to their carers,” Ford stated. Furthermore, the research will explore the potential for integrating this approach into NHS services, increasing accessibility for more teenagers facing mental health struggles.

“If we can get in early, then we can save people future pain,” Kat Nellist, a young advocate for mental health and a contributor to the ATTEND program, said in the press release. She emphasized the importance of considering young people’s feelings throughout the project, advocating tailored mental health interventions that meet teenagers’ specific needs.

Mindfulness therapy for adolescents not only addresses immediate mental health issues but also fosters the development of self-awareness and coping skills critical for emotional health. “These multiple advantages render mindfulness a multifunctional tool for mental and physical well-being,” Hafeez said.