Multi-target-directed drugs: new additions in 2025 and post-marketing safety surveillance of drugs marketed in 2022-2024.

Depression represents the most prevalent mental disorder in adolescent population. Clinically, adolescent depression often presents with features that may differ from classic adult presentations. According to the DSM-5, irritability is a core diagnostic feature of depression in adolescents (American Psychiatric Association, ; Malhi et al., ), whereas emotional instability and impulsivity – while commonly observed in this population – may be more closely associated with co-occurring conditions such as nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) or emotion dysregulation rather than being direct core symptoms of depression itself (Apicella et al., ; He et al., ; Kweon, ; Liu et al., ), which are frequently triggered by academic pressure, interpersonal conflicts, and other psychosocial stressors (Kessler et al., 2007). Due to ongoing cognitive development and a deficit in adaptive emotion regulation strategies, affected adolescents may resort to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) as a maladaptive mechanism to alleviate acute psychological distress (Hasking, Whitlock, Voon, & Rose, ). NSSI is defined as the deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue without suicidal intent (Mcshane, ), encompassing behaviors such as cutting, biting, burning, and head banging. Recent epidemiological studies indicate that approximately 15%–17% of adolescents worldwide report a lifetime history of NSSI (Liu et al., ; Swannell et al., ), with a comorbidity rate as high as 51% (95% CI: 46%–56%) among those diagnosed with depressive disorders (Zeng et al., ). The chronic NSSI is associated with significant personal distress and functional impairment, and poses challenges for families and healthcare systems (Murray et al., ), underscoring an urgent need for effective interventions as highlighted by healthcare systems and policymakers. The advancement of the biopsychosocial model in medicine has established psychological therapies – including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and transference-focused therapy – as first-line interventions for NSSI (Lawton & Moghraby, ). However, their applicability in adolescent populations is often limited. These interventions can exhibit high specificity to certain clinical groups and face significant implementation challenges (Kernberg & Yeomans, ; Linehan & Wilks, ; Taylor et al., ; Walton et al., ), which may reduce their accessibility and feasibility for adolescents in crisis. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which was originally developed for the prevention of depressive relapse (Hofmann & Gómez, ), integrates core principles of CBT with structured mindfulness and meditation practices. This therapeutic approach has gained significant endorsement as a recommended intervention from major clinical guidelines, including those issued by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (Luxton & Kyriakopoulos, ), the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANM AT) (Lam et al., ), and Chinese guidelines for the treatment of depressive disorder (Lingjiang, ). The rising profile of mindfulness has consequently spurred its wider application in both school and clinical settings for adolescents. A growing body of research demonstrating its benefits in enhancing key domains such as executive function, attentional control, emotional regulation, and impulse management (Dumontheil, Lyons, Russell, & Zelazo, ; Porter et al., ). Notably, higher frequency of mindfulness practice has been positively associated with greater well-being in adolescents (Scafuto et al., ; Tudor et al., ). Furthermore, a cost–benefit analysis indicates that school-based mindfulness programs represent a promising public health investment, with modeling suggesting that an annual investment of £20,000 could potentially achieve 83% rate of mental health recovery among students (Kuyken et al., ).