Having depression or anxiety as a teenager can be very hard and can have an impact on friendships and family relationships as well as on education and employment.

After treatment, many young people still have some symptoms or could experience another period of depression or anxiety later on.

The ATTEND study supports teens aged 15 – 18 post-treatment for depression or anxiety. It tests MAC, a mindfulness therapy for adolescents and carers, aiming to improve mood management and family support for those who are still struggling with symptoms.

Delivered jointly by the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, ATTEND is a research trial testing the effectiveness of a new treatment, Mindfulness for Adolescents and Carers (MAC), a teenage-friendly mindfulness therapy developed to help young people learn techniques on how to manage their low mood.

MAC also supports parents and carers to understand what their young people are learning and how they can better support them throughout the intervention.

This could be particularly helpful for those who are in between services or seeking additional support beyond CAMHS or school provision.

Learn more about the trial and MAC.

Email Mannat Chopra from the study team for more information: mannat.chopra@psych.ox.ac.uk