Outcomes of a Brief Cognitive Skills-Based Intervention (COPE) for Adolescents in the Primary Care Setting.

Introduction: Approximately 25% of adolescents have behavioral disorders, yet few receive treatment. Primary care (PC) screening for depression and anxiety is recommended; however treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), are rarely available in PC settings. Our aim was to determine whether the use of a CBT-based intervention (COPE for Teens) is associated with improved outcomes on measures of depression and anxiety, and to understand the patient experience.

Methods: Health record data were examined, including questionnaires on depression (PHQ-A), anxiety (GAD-7), and experience with COPE. Differences between pre- and post-intervention scores were evaluated by paired t-tests. Questionnaire data were analyzed via thematic coding.

Results: Thirty-seven patients (73% female; ages 12-18) completed pre- and post-intervention measures. Comparison showed decrease in PHQ-A scores by 2.1 (p = 0.0067) and GAD-7 scores by 2.3 (p = 0.0081). Questionnaire data demonstrate satisfaction with COPE.

Discussion: Among these 37 adolescents, COPE provided effective PC-based behavioral treatment and a positive experience. Increased availability of COPE could improve care for adolescents.