Background The diagnosis of depression in adolescents relies on identifying the presence of specific core and additional symptoms. Symptoms can be identified using structured or unstructured interviews and a range of questionnaire measures, which are completed by the young person and by a parent or carer. The aim of this research was to examine the inter‐ and intra‐rater reliability of parent report and adolescent self‐report of depression symptoms. Method In a sample of parent–child dyads, where young people aged 13–17 were referred to a mental health service for depression, we examined adolescents’ (n = 46) and parents’ (n = 46) independent responses to the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia in School‐Age Children (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1997, 980) and the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 1988, 726). Results In the clinical interview, diagnostic criteria were more often met based on the adolescent's report, and adolescents endorsed more symptoms of depression than their parents. Tentative results also suggest that parent–child agreement about specific symptoms was low. Comparing different measures of depression revealed that adolescent report on the questionnaire and interview was significantly correlated. However, there was no significant correlation between parent questionnaire and interview report. Conclusion These results suggest that relying solely on parents to identify depression in their children may result in young people with depression being missed and therefore untreated. Young people themselves should be encouraged and enabled to recognise the symptoms of depression and have an established pathway to services that offer assessment and treatment. Diagnosis of depression in adolescents requires the identification of specific symptoms and can be identified using interviews or questionnaires. Previous research has suggested that parents and young people provide differing reports regarding symptoms of adolescent depression. Results indicated that diagnostic criteria were more often met based on young person report and that parents reported significantly less symptoms. Parent–child agreement about specific symptoms was found to be low. Assessment of adolescent depression should not rely solely on parental report. Young people should be encouraged and enabled to recognise symptoms of depression and be able to access mental health services.

Background: Effective antibullying interventions may reduce the impact of bullying on young people's mental health. Nevertheless, little is known about their effectiveness in reducing internalizing symptoms such as anxiety or depression, and what factors may influence intervention effects. The aim of this systematic review, meta-analysis, and metaregression is to assess the effects of school-based antibullying interventions on children's and adolescent's internalizing symptoms. The secondary aims are to explore potential moderators, intervention components, and reductions in bullying as mediators of intervention effects on internalizing symptoms. Methods: We searched nine databases: PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library, and performed an author search of included studies in English from January 1983 to April 2021. We included studies that evaluated school-based antibullying interventions using controlled designs and reporting on both bullying and internalizing outcomes. Random-effects and metaregression models were used to derive Hedges g values with pooled 95% CIs as estimates of effect size and to test associations between moderator variables and effect size estimates. Path analysis was used to test potential mediation using effect size measures of victimization, perpetration, and internalizing outcomes. Quality and risk of bias were assessed using Cochrane collaboration tools. Results: This review included 22 studies with 58,091 participants in the meta-analysis. Antibullying interventions had a very small effect in reducing overall internalizing symptoms (ES, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.0284 to 0.1005), anxiety (ES, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.011 to 0.158), and depression (ES, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.014 to 0.107) at postintervention. The reduction in internalizing symptoms did not vary significantly across geographic location, grade level, program duration, and intensity. The intervention component 'working with peers' was associated with a significant reduction, and 'using CBT techniques' was associated with a significant increase in internalizing outcomes. Bullying victimization and perpetration did not mediate the relationship between intervention condition and internalizing outcomes. Conclusions: Antibullying interventions have a small impact on reducing internalizing symptoms. Ongoing development of antibullying interventions should address how best to maximize their impact on internalizing symptoms to safeguard young people from the damaging mental health outcomes of bullying.

Disturbed sleep is a common symptom of depression in adolescents, but this symptom is not often targeted in psychological therapies for depression. Although the causal relationship between sleep and depression is unclear, there is increasing evidence that in adults, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) improves sleep problems and reduces symptoms of depression; however, there has been little investigation of using this approach with adolescents. This article describes the adaptation of brief CBT-I for adolescents with depression. A single case study is reported to illustrate the use of the 'Sleeping Better' Programme. Adaptations for adolescents include increased emphasis on engagement of the young person and the inclusion of parents in treatment. The treatment programme was acceptable to the adolescent and parent, and treatment outcome, as indicated by sleep diaries and standardised measures of depression and anxiety, was positive. Further evaluation of the 'Sleeping Better' programme is needed to establish if it is an effective low-intensity intervention for sleep problems in adolescents who have depression or anxiety.

Background: Online treatments for child anxiety offer a potentially cost-effective and non-stigmatizing means to widen access to evidence-based treatments and meet the increasing demand on services; however, uptake in routine clinical practice remains a challenge. This study conducted an initial evaluation of the clinical effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of OSI (Online Support and Intervention for child anxiety) within clinical practice. OSI is a co-designed online therapist-supported, parent-led CBT treatment for pre-adolescent children with anxiety problems. Method: This case series was part of routine service evaluation in a clinic in England where families were offered OSI to treat a primary anxiety difficulty among 7- to 12-year-old children; 24 families were offered OSI, and 23 took it up. Measures of anxiety symptomatology, functional impairment and progress towards therapeutic goals were taken at pre-treatment, post-treatment and 4-week follow-up. Treatment satisfaction and engagement were also measured throughout the intervention. Results: Mean anxiety symptoms significantly improved to below the clinical cut-off post-treatment, with further reduction at follow-up. Functional impairment also significantly improved and significant progress was made towards treatment goals. The majority of children showed reliable change in anxiety symptoms and reliable recovery by follow-up, and were discharged without needing further treatment for anxiety. Uptake, adherence and engagement in OSI were excellent, and parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the treatment. Conclusions: We have provided initial evidence that OSI is feasible, acceptable to families, and appears to be associated with good outcomes within routine clinical practice.

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