Maintenance psychotherapeutic intervention designed for young people with major depressive disorder to prevent relapse

Major depression is one of the most disabling disorders affecting individuals at the biological, functional, and psychosocial levels. A thorough understanding of this nosological entity will allow healthcare professionals to provide more comprehensive and effective care to patients suffering from it. This research employed a descriptive, mixed-method approach. Literature searches were conducted in Scopus-indexed sources such as Sciencedirect, PubMed, Medline, and Scielo, among others. Experts were consulted based on previously established criteria and processed using the Compensatory Fuzzy Logic method. The results provided a deeper understanding of the factors that influence depression in young people, among which individual factors such as emotional instability, low self-esteem, cognitive rumination, and a lack of coping styles stood out. A psychotherapeutic intervention protocol was developed based on the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) model, with the goal of promoting flexibility, fostering emotional well-being, and fostering acceptance. The use of Compensatory Fuzzy Logic allowed us to prioritize the factors with the greatest therapeutic impact, facilitating the design of the protocol for young people in the city of Ambato. It was found that although social and environmental factors influence depression, it is important to pay special attention to internal factors such as cognitive-emotional and personality factors to achieve effective psychotherapy and treatment for major depression in young people and prevent relapses.