Does frontal brain activity mediate the effect of depression prevention in adolescents? A pilot study

Abstract

W e investigated whether (a) depression prevention was associated with depressive symptoms and medial-frontal alpha asymmetry in adolescents; (b) alpha asymmetry mediated the association between participation in a prevention program and depressive symptoms; and (c) gender affects these associations. In our randomised control group study, we compared a universal prevention program (n = 40 adolescents, 14 females) with a non-intervention control condition (n = 39 adolescents, 20 females) in German secondary school students (mean age: 13.53 years, SD = 0.53). We collected data at baseline, post-intervention, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up using the Self-Rating Questionnaire for Depressive Disorders (SBB-DES) and resting medial-frontal alpha activity on F3 and F4. We found that girls benefitted from participating in the prevention program in regards to their depressive symptoms at 12-month follow-up but not alpha asymmetry. In boys, participation in the prevention program was associated with their alpha asymmetry at 6-month follow-up but not their depressive symptoms. Alpha asymmetry did not mediate the effects of the prevention program on depressive symptoms in either gender. Although participation in the prevention program was associated with both depressive symptoms and alpha asymmetry, those associations seem independent from each other. Possible explanations for this result pattern are discussed.

Introduction to the special section on prevention science: From generic rules to differential adaptations

“…Luengo () reports on an intervention to reduce aggression among youth in Columbia and Chile, with unique findings for each nation separately. Pössel et al () explored the mediating role of brain activity in shaping adolescents' depression. Given the history of prevention science, it is not surprising that most of the papers focus on interventions that dealt with children and youth from pre‐school through adolescence, and their caregivers or teachers.…”

“…Interestingly, the papers reported on research topics that have much universal appeal across the globe. Yet, the topics of four papers, that is: (a) Bullen et al () manuscript reflecting on evidence‐based research; (b) El‐Khani et al () parent intervention for caregivers; (c) Koivula et al () paper on the cultural adaptation of a prevention programme, and (d) Pössel et al's () study using alpha brain wave activity to mediate adolescent depression is not frequently presented in the prevention literature, and, therefore, they add a unique perspective to the Special Section. The papers utilise sound research methodologies, employing primarily quantitative methods to assess outcomes of preventive interventions and/or their implementation.…”