THE prevention of mental health disorders in youth
merits increased interest and attention. Indeed,
some disorders are not only common in youth but also
reduce the life quality of the young person and his or
her family. It is the promise of prevention that early
identification and intervention can change the trajectory
and forestall full-blown disorders.
EMOTION is a program aimed at reducing the
incidence of anxiety and depression in youth exhibiting
initial symptoms of such disorders. Transdiagnostic approaches
(Ehrenreich-May & Chu, 2014) offer promise for
co-occurring difficulties, and cognitive-behavioral therapy
in particular is an approach that addresses common underlying
processes in anxiety and depression (Kendall et al.,
2014).
An indicated prevention approach was chosen because
findings to date suggest that universal prevention programs
for depression have inconclusive support (Spence
& Shortt, 2007) whereas targeted (indicated) approaches
have been endorsed (Horowitz & Garber, 2006). In
addition, prevention programs may facilitate the identification
of children at risk for disorder (Fisak, Richard, &
Mann, 2011). Identifying children suitable for prevention