Objective(s): This study examined changes in depressed adolescents’ reports of attachment anxiety and avoidance with interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-A), and the relationship between attachment style and change in depression with IPT-A. Method: Forty adolescents (aged 12–17) participated in a 16-week randomized clinical trial of 4 adaptive treatment strategies for adolescent depression that began with IPT-A and augmented treatment for insufficient responders (n = 22) by adding additional IPT-A sessions (n = 11) or the antidepressant medication, fluoxetine (n = 11). Adolescents were 77.5 female and 22.5 male (mean age = 14.8, SD = 1.8). Ten percent of adolescents were Latino. Racial composition was 7.5 Asian, 7.5 American Indian/Alaska Native, 80.0 white, and 5.0 biracial. Measures of attachment style (Experience in Close Relationships Scale-Revised ECR-R) and depression (Children’s Depression Rating Scale—Revised CDRS-R) were administered at baseline and Weeks 8 and 16. Results: Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance (ECR-R) decreased significantly from baseline to Week 16. Baseline Avoidance positively predicted greater reductions in depression (CDRS-R), controlling for fluoxetine. Reductions in Anxiety and Avoidance were also significantly associated with reductions in CDRS-R, controlling for fluoxetine. Conclusions: Adolescents’ reports of attachment anxiety and avoidance are amenable to intervention with IPT-A. IPT-A may be particularly beneficial for adolescents who report a high level of avoidant attachment.
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