3-092 - Implementing and Evaluating Youth Depression Prevention Programs in Real-World Settings

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Prevalence rates increase dramatically during the teen years—particularly among girls—making adolescence an appealing window for intervention. Widespread delivery of effective prevention programs may provide the best opportunity for reducing the burden of depression.

Meta-analyses show that youth depression prevention programs yield modest but robust improvements in depression outcomes. However, there are formidable barriers to widespread implementation. This symposium consists of four presentations highlighting challenges of real-world delivery through schools and primary care clinics.

The first presentation evaluates the relative efficacy of a school-based, cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program when delivered by trained school teachers compared to experienced psychologists in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The second presentation provides a detailed description and evaluation of standard care school counseling sessions for youth at elevated risk for depression, with a focus on methods most commonly employed by school counselors. The third presentation evaluates whether a school-based, interpersonal psychotherapy intervention improves outcomes at the core of the academic mission (i.e., grades and academic functioning), which may make depression prevention programs more attractive to school administrators. Finally, the fourth presentation reports data from an RCT comparing utilization patterns for an internet-based prevention program delivered to youth presenting in a primary care setting relative to a web-based health education program.

Discussion will focus on methods for (1) engaging participants and delivery entities (e.g., schools, clinics), (2) training lay providers, (3) measuring outcomes meaningful to schools and families, and (4) improving intervention reach and engagement using technology.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chairs

• Steven M Brunwasser, Vanderbilt University

• Judy Garber, Vanderbilt University

Individual Presentations

• Should Teachers Facilitate Depression Prevention Programs in Schools? - Presenting Author: Patrick Possel, University of Louisville; Jill L Adelson, University of Louisville

• School-Based Depression Prevention: Techniques Utilized in Groups Led by School Counselors - Presenting Author: Caroline Haimm, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Katie Moore, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Jami Young, Rutgers University

• School-Related Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Adolescent Depression Prevention Programs - Presenting Author: Alyssa E. McCarthy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Robert J Gallop, West Chester University; Jami Young, Rutgers University

• PATH: Promoting Adolescent Health through an Internet-Based Primary Care Intervention - Presenting Author: Tracy R. G. Gladstone, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College; Benjamin Van Voorhees, Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago; Megan Bolotin, University of Illinois at Chicago; Kate Lapin, University of Illinois at Chicago; Emily Crain, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College