Examining Treatment Options in Youth with Major Depressive Disorder: Observations from the TX-YDSRN Registry Study

With many available options, selecting a treatment for depression in youth can be a complex process influenced by many factors, including treatment preferences. This paper investigated treatment groups in the TX-YDSRN sample and how patient characteristics and treatment preferences aligned with treatment received over the first month of enrollment. While over half of the sample was receiving combined psychotherapy and medication treatment, a smaller portion was receiving medication alone, and relatively few were receiving psychotherapy only or no current treatment. Youth receiving combined treatment tended to have more severe depression and suicide risk compared to those only receiving medication, and a large portion of youth receiving medication alone actually preferred combined treatment. Youth in the medication only group tended to come from households with lower income, suggesting there may be barriers to combined treatment.