Papers by Martin Seligman
Prevention of Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
The prevention of an individual's first episode of depression is worthy of greater study ... more The prevention of an individual's first episode of depression is worthy of greater study among investigators concerned with mood disorders. Not only is the first episode devastating for individuals and those around them but it is a major burden within our health system and society. Once the first episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) occurs, the sequelae are substantial. Following an episode of MDD, the probability of subsequent episodes is significantly increased, even to the point that many now consider MDD to be a chronic disease. The sequelae to MDD are numerous and include poorer social relationships, increased substance abuse, increased use of medical services, interference with long-term cognitive functioning, significant comorbidity with major health problems, and younger ages of death (even when deaths by suicide are taken into account). Most investigators of mood disorders believe that the first episode lays down neural pathways that are difficult to overcome and, without modification via medications or psychosocial interventions or their combination, are likely to be lasting pathways that impact individuals' lives. Even though prevention of MDD is an important topic, empirical work in this area is difficult and has been slow to progress. Some recent work has been conducted on the prevention of second and subsequent episodes, but the work designed to prevent the first episode of MDD has been meager. Before addressing the empirical work on prevention of MDD, it is important to note again the conceptual and historical context in which general prevention research has been defined.
Prevention of Schizophrenia
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
Springer eBooks, Jun 12, 2012
Some of the most common psychological disorders in children and adolescents are internalizing dis... more Some of the most common psychological disorders in children and adolescents are internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety. Research on the development of depression and anxiety suggests that internalizing disorders can be reduced, even prevented, by promoting more accurate cognitive styles, problem-solving skills, and supportive family relationships. Several cognitive-behavioral interventions have shown promise in treating and preventing depression and anxiety. We review the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) as an example of such an intervention. We suggest that most of the skills covered in the PRP and similar preventive interventions are not speci fi c to depression or anxiety and can be useful for increasing young people's resiliency more generally. Interventions that teach and reinforce these skills can help children to navigate a variety of dif fi cult situations they are likely to encounter during adolescence and adulthood. At any point in time, approximately 2-3% of children and 6-9% of adolescents have a major depressive disorder . Approximately one in fi ve adolescents will have had a major depressive episode by the end of high school (Lewinsohn et al.). Anxiety disorders, which often precede and co-occur with depression, are found in 10-21% of children and adolescents . It is notable that rates of depression increase as children enter adolescence , indicating that the transition to adolescence is a particularly vulnerable developmental period for depression. In addition, several studies indicate that rates of depression and anxiety have increased dramatically over the past 50 years , so that young people today are much more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety than their parents or grandparents were. This chapter focuses on unipolar depression, 1 one of the most common types of internalizing disorders, because our research program focuses
Journal of Early Adolescence, Jun 11, 2008
Does anxiety lead to depression more for girls than for boys? This study prospectively examines g... more Does anxiety lead to depression more for girls than for boys? This study prospectively examines gender differences in the relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms in early adolescence. One hundred thirteen 11-to 14-year-old middle school students complete questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms and three dimensions of anxiety (worry and oversensitivity, social concerns and concentration, and physiological anxiety) as well as total anxiety symptoms at an initial assessment and 1 year later. Total anxiety and worry and oversensitivity symptoms are found to predict later depressive symptoms more strongly for girls than for boys. There is a similar pattern of results for social concerns and concentration symptoms, although this does not reach statistical significance. Physiological anxiety predicts later depressive symptoms for both boys and girls. These findings highlight the importance of anxiety for the development of depression in adolescence, particularly worry and oversensitivity among girls.
Can We Immunize School Children Against Depression?
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 1996
Behaviour Research and Therapy, Jul 1, 1999
In the 2nd edition of his book, Fear and Courage, Jack Rachman remarked on the scarcity of resear... more In the 2nd edition of his book, Fear and Courage, Jack Rachman remarked on the scarcity of research on human strengths. While journal articles on anxiety and fear were numerous, only a handful of references on courage existed prior to 1990. Nine years later, thanks in large part to Rachman's groundbreaking research, our knowledge of this human strength is growing. However, the discrepancy in research on positive versus negative human qualities remains huge. A search of psychological abstracts from 1967 through 1998 yields approximately 60,000 articles, book chapters and books on fear or anxiety and fewer than 500 on courage. Similarly, Myers reports that for every article on positive emotions (joy, happiness or life satisfaction) there are 21 articles on negative emotions (anger, anxiety and depression) . Psychology's focus on the negative may make evolutionary and historical sense. It has led to powerful techniques for reducing human suering and has increased our awareness of environmental stressors that may stunt human development. However, psychology's preoccupation with identifying, undoing and preventing damage has blinded us to human strength. Our theories are powerful in predicting failure, hopelessness and despair, but are impotent when it comes to explaining hope, persistence, creativity, compassion, love and the many other qualities that make life worthwhile. Worse, psychology's focus on protection from damage is harmful. It has contributed to a culture of victimology and may be responsible for the widespread epidemic of depression in our young people. Over the last half-century, several psychologists have called for an increasing focus on the positive. Humanistic psychologists including , 1963) argued that psychology ignored what was most important about being human, creativity, love, joy and our capacity for growth. However, these calls went largely unheeded and no systematic Behaviour Research and Therapy 37 (1999) S163±S173
Behaviour Research and Therapy, Nov 1, 1994
This paper describes the development and preliminary efficacy of a program designed to prevent de... more This paper describes the development and preliminary efficacy of a program designed to prevent depressive symptoms in at-risk IO 13 year-olds, and relates the tindings to the current understanding of childhood depression. The treatment targets depressive symptoms and related difficulties such as conduct problems, low academic achievement. low social competence, and poor peer relations, by proactively teaching cognitive techniques. Children were identified as 'at-risk' based on depressive symptoms and their reports of parental conflict. Sixty-nine children participated in treatment groups and were compared to 73 children in control groups. Depressive symptoms were significantly reduced and classroom behavior was significantly improved m the treatment group as compared to controls at post-test. Six-month follow-up showed continued reduction in depressive symptoms. as well as significantly fewer cxternaliring conduct problems. as compared to controls. in symptoms was most pronounced in the children who were most at risk.
Defining Eating Disorders
Oxford University Press eBooks, Jul 1, 2017
This chapter describes the diagnostic criteria used in clinical and research settings to define e... more This chapter describes the diagnostic criteria used in clinical and research settings to define eating disorders and highlights important changes in the criteria introduced by DSM-5 in 2013. Emerging evidence suggests that the DSM-5 categories usefully capture a range of eating problems in need of clinical attention that were not well described in previous DSM editions. The chapter also reviews the characteristics of adolescents and young adults with eating disorders, their frequency in the general population, and their psychological comorbidities. Important medical complications associated with the disorders, especially among adolescents, are summarized, as well as approaches to their treatment. The chapter covers in greatest detail anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.
What's it like to be 17? Using supercomputers and social media to study positive human development
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2013
Treatment of Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
Although it is clear that adolescent mood disorders exist and lead to significant immediate and l... more Although it is clear that adolescent mood disorders exist and lead to significant immediate and lifelong impairment for the child, there exists limited treatment research in this special population. This has led clinicians to consult with the adult literature to provide guidance in their treatment approaches. In fact, the adult research studies have provided the template for the present interventions being explored in adolescent treatment studies. To appreciate how the adult literature informs the field of adolescent mood disorder treatments, the current status of the adult literature for both psychosocial and psychopharmacologic treatments will be reviewed. This will be followed by an appraisal of the same treatment areas for adolescents.
From Helplessness to Optimism: The Role of Resilience in Treating and Preventing Depression in Youth
Springer eBooks, 2023
ABSTRACT
JACC. Edición en español, Feb 1, 2019
Determinados aspectos del bienestar psicológico positivo, como el optimismo, se han identi cado c... more Determinados aspectos del bienestar psicológico positivo, como el optimismo, se han identi cado como activos de salud positivos, ya que se han asociado prospectivamente a los 7 parámetros de salud cardiovascular (SCV) y a una mejora de los resultados relacionados con la enfermedad cardiovascular. Las relaciones entre el bienestar psicológico y los trastornos cardiovasculares pueden producirse a través de vías biológicas, conductuales y psicosociales. Las intervenciones a nivel individual, como los programas basados en en el mindfulness o conciencia plena (también llamada atención plena o atención consciente) y las intervenciones psicológicas positivas han resultado prometedoras para modi car el bienestar psicológico. Además, en los lugares de trabajo se están utilizando intervenciones centradas en el bienestar para fomentar la SCV de los empleados, y dichas intervenciones constituyen un posible modelo para ampliar los programas de bienestar psicológico a comunidades y sociedades. Dada la importancia del bienestar psicológico para el fomento de la SCV, en esta revisión se presentan recomendaciones clínicas para evaluar y fomentar el bienestar en los encuentros con los pacientes. Por último, se propone una agenda para la investigación. Son necesarios más estudios prospectivos observacionales para comprender los mecanismos que subyacen en la conexión entre el bienestar psicológico y los resultados cardiovasculares. Además, son necesarios ensayos de intervención rigurosos para determinar si los programas de fomento del bienestar psicológico permiten mejorar los resultados cardiovasculares. (
Targeted Youth Suicide Prevention Programs
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
In this chapter we review examples of selective suicide prevention programs that have been develo... more In this chapter we review examples of selective suicide prevention programs that have been developed for youth identified or presumed to be at increased risk for suicidal behavior. Although the youth targeted by such programs are considered to be particularly vulnerable to suicide, in most cases they have not yet exhibited specific signs of suicidality. Discussed here are programs for three specific groups, each of which has shown elevated rates of suicidal behavior: Native American youth, youth with recent exposure to a suicide in the school or community, and youth who have access to firearms in the home. While there has been considerable research suggesting that adolescents and young adults in these groups are at greater risk for suicide, relatively few intervention programs for these populations have been developed to date.
Treatment of Eating Disorders
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
There are no scientific studies to indicate the optimal treatment of eating disorders for adolesc... more There are no scientific studies to indicate the optimal treatment of eating disorders for adolescents, in terms of when treatment should begin, where that treatment should be delivered, or who should provide the treatment. The consensus view is that therapy should begin as soon as possible after a clinically significant eating problem has been identified, with the treatment provider, parents, and patient working to individualize treatment. The setting for the treatment is partially determined by availability, but the severity and duration of illness, especially with regard to medical complications, must also be considered. The optimal professional to treat an adolescent with an eating disorder is again determined in part by availability. Eating disorders can be effectively managed by a variety of different professionals, including physicians (psychiatrists, primary care providers, or adolescent medicine specialists), psychologists, social workers, and nutritionists who are familiar with efficacious treatment of eating disorders.
Defining Anxiety Disorders
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
The research of the past few decades has expanded our understanding of the phenomena linked to th... more The research of the past few decades has expanded our understanding of the phenomena linked to the concepts of anxiety and anxiety disorder. A comparison of contemporary reports with those of the last half century provides reason for optimism, for we have learned several important facts. First, the state we call anxiety in humans is not unitary in origin or consequence and can be the result of living with realistic threat, past history, conditioning, or a temperamental bias for unexpected somatic sensations that are interpreted as meaning one is anxious. Second, epidemiological and genetic data imply distinct biological profiles for the varied anxiety disorders, many of which implicate neurochemical processes. Finally, clinicians and investigators now have an initial set of cognitive and biological procedures that promise to aid differential diagnosis of individuals who report anxiety. Major advances will occur when investigators and clinicians add these procedures to their interview data. The results of this work will permit the parsing of individuals who have a particular diagnosis into subgroups with more homogeneous biological and psychological features. This knowledge should lead to a more fruitful set of psychiatric classifications.
From Helplessness to Optimism
Springer eBooks, Mar 16, 2007
Some of the most common psychological disorders in children and adolescents are internalizing dis... more Some of the most common psychological disorders in children and adolescents are internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety. Research on the development of depression and anxiety suggests that internalizing disorders can be reduced, even prevented, by promoting more accurate cognitive styles, problem-solving skills, and supportive family relationships. Several cognitive-behavioral interventions have shown promise in treating and preventing depression and
Prevention of Anxiety Disorders
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
This chapter on the prevention of anxiety disorders in adolescents considers intervention studies... more This chapter on the prevention of anxiety disorders in adolescents considers intervention studies, but before this it is important to briefly consider what is known about risk and protective factors at the individual, familial, and societal level, because it is knowledge of these factors and their interrelations that should inform the development of specific intervention strategies. Unfortunately, knowledge of such factors is limited, and perhaps the paucity of prevention studies in anxiety disorders is a direct result of this limited knowledge. Of particular concern is the absence of evidence about protective factors that are specific to anxiety disorders. That is, although the youth resilience literature has generally underscored the importance of factors such as high IQ, selfesteem, social support, and positive coping in serving to protect young people from the development of psychopathology in general, there is a paucity of literature regarding whether any protective factor(s) may serve to protect against anxiety disorders in particular. Certainly, development of effective prevention programs will continue to be hampered until evidence-based knowledge has accumulated in this area. The summary below is thus reflective of this in proportion to the literature; that is, considerable more coverage is paid to risk factors than to protective factors.
Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
The high rate of adolescent substance abuse in the United States makes the identification of effe... more The high rate of adolescent substance abuse in the United States makes the identification of effective treatment approaches a significant priority. Effective early intervention is crucial. Adolescents who initiate alcohol use by age 14 are significantly more likely to develop alcohol dependence as adults than those who initiate use by age 20, with significant reductions in the odds of developing dependence for each year of delayed initiation. Effective early intervention is also crucial with substance-abusing adolescents because it can play a preventive role in later years. Treatment of substance-abusing adolescents is complicated by a number of factors that appear to be particularly prevalent or problematic among adolescents. First, adolescents in treatment samples usually use multiple substances. Second, substance-using adolescents have very high rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders, which can greatly complicate treatment delivery and outcome. Treatment of substance-abusing adolescents is also complicated by high rates of substance abuse in their immediate families. Another obstacle to treatment for adolescents is that adolescents rarely seek treatment voluntarily but are usually coerced at some level after experiencing school, legal, or medical problems. Treatment is also complicated by their involvement in the multiple systems in which their legal, school, and medical problems are being addressed, as these problems may be identified prior to recognition of the presence of a substance use disorder. Finally, high attrition from treatment is a particular problem among adolescents, with treatment completion rates for adolescents in therapeutic communities estimated at less than 20%. Completion rates for outpatient programs are generally estimated at 50%.
Preventive Interventions and Treatments for Suicidal Youth
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
This third and last category of youth suicide prevention efforts includes indicated interventions... more This third and last category of youth suicide prevention efforts includes indicated interventions and treatments that target those who have already shown signs of suicidality. Such efforts seek essentially to reduce and prevent subsequent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and prevent suicide completion. The interventions and treatments described in this chapter differ widely in the groups they target, the methods they use, and the settings in which they have been implemented.
The Role of Primary Care Physicians in Detection and Treatment of Adolescent Mental Health Problems
Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 1, 2005
This chapter presents research conducted as part of the Sunnylands Adolescent Mental Health Initi... more This chapter presents research conducted as part of the Sunnylands Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (SAMHI) to determine primary care provider practices in identifying and referring adolescents for treatment of mental health problems.
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Papers by Martin Seligman