The goal of this Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K-01) application is to enable Dr. McCarty to make the transition from conducting basic research understanding the context of youth psychopathology to the development and testing of multi-component prevention programs targeting youth depression, thus launching her career as an independent investigator focused on preventive intervention research. The overall goal of her long-term program of research is to utilize knowledge of child and adolescent development, both in community and clinical populations, to advance programs that will effectively disrupt the escalation of depression and depressive symptomatology for at-risk youth. To pursue this goal, the applicant will expand her training in three areas: (1) developing expertise in prevention science, (2) applying knowledge from basic behavioral research to intervention development and modification, and (3) receiving advanced training in longitudinal data analysis, modeling techniques, and research methods. The applicant's strong background of academic and research training in child psychopathology, evidence-based treatments, and methodology and statistics provides an excellent foundation for this work. The proposed award will encompass three stages of research that will cumulatively build a foundation for a larger prevention trial. First, using a sample of 550 youth that are being followed longitudinally between 6th and 8th grade, contextual factors that predict the growth and timing of depressive symptoms during these two years will be identified. The results of this longitudinal examination of contextual risks together with the broader literature on risks and prevention will be applied to the modification of an existing, well-tested prevention program (""""""""Coping with Stress""""""""). The core of the intervention will involve cognitive and behavioral skill building with modifications made to make it developmentally appropriate for a younger cohort of children, and to enhance supports and manage stressors within the family, peer, and school contexts. The third stage of research will entail pilot testing of the overall cognitive-behavioral-ecological prevention program using a school-based sample of 60 youth. The data collected will form the basis for a future R-01 research proposal to study an expanded application of the prevention program that will be generated.
