Groundbreaking Therapy Reduces Overthinking in Teens, Study Finds
A new study has revealed that a special type of cognitive behavioral therapy can help teenagers overcome the issue of overthinking, which is closely linked to depression and anxiety. Overthinking, or ruminating, affects approximately 44% of US teenagers and involves obsessively focusing on the future and regretting past events. The groundbreaking research used brain scans to demonstrate how this therapy can reduce connectivity between areas of the brain associated with obsessive thinking, ultimately breaking the negative thought loop.
The study, conducted by psychiatrists from Ohio State University and the University of Utah, builds on previous research that demonstrated the effectiveness of this therapy in treating depression in adults. Depression affects 21 million American adults and almost 4 million teenagers, making it a costly and significant mental health condition. Current treatments, such as antidepressant medication and traditional cognitive behavioral therapy, are only effective in a fraction of teenagers.
Rumination-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (RF-CBT), the specific type of therapy used in the study, significantly reduced the focus on negative experiences in teenagers and alleviated severe anxiety and distress. The approach could potentially transform the lives of millions of young people who suffer from chronic depression. Dr. Rachel Jacobs, a professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University, who began researching this intervention in 2016, explains that standard cognitive restructuring techniques often do not provide the necessary tools for young people to break free from painful mental cycles.
The study involved 76 teenagers with a history of depression, with half undergoing RF-CBT and the other half not receiving the treatment. Brain scans were conducted before and after the study, and participants also completed a survey to measure the frequency of overthinking. The results showed significant improvements in the RF-CBT group, with a 35 out of 39 seeing a decline in rumination scores, compared to only 28 out of 36 in the standard treatment group. MRI scans also showed enhancements in brain connectivity, specifically in regions associated with memory, impulse control, decision-making, and visual memories. However, the study did not measure changes in depression or anxiety scores.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health cannot be overlooked, as prolonged periods of isolation from school and social activities have contributed to a decline in mental well-being. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that over a third of high school students reported poor mental health during the pandemic, with 44% reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Recent figures also indicate that the general suicide rate in the US has reached an all-time high in 2022, rising 16% since 2011.
This groundbreaking study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, offers hope for teenagers suffering from overthinking and its associated mental health challenges. The researchers believe that RF-CBT, when combined with traditional therapy, could have a profound impact on reducing chronic depression in young people.
