Low income, inner-city, African-American adolescents are at high risk for depression, due to the many stressors associated with being adolescent, poor, and minority. This is an exploratory project that will use a controlled randomized design to examine the impact of a 15-session, group-based, cognitive-behavioral depression preventive intervention adapted for low income, inner-city African-American adolescents. This study will lay the groundwork for a future effectiveness study. Participants will be 1029 freshmen and 765 sophomore African-American students, attending three inner-city high schools located in low-income Chicago neighborhoods. They will be administered the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Adolescent Health Assessment-2000, a collection of psychometrically sound instruments which assess the various study variables of interest. Those students who are determined to be at-risk for depression, based on elevated CES-D scores (i.e., _24), will be interviewed using the DISCIV. Variables of interest include stress, coping, aggression, socio-ecological factors, and other indicators of emotional/physical well-being and adjustment. Students who are at-risk for depression but who do not have a current Depressive, Bipolar, Dysthymic, Cyclothymic and/or Conduct Disorder will be randomized to either the culturally adapted 15-session, group-based, cognitive-behavioral depression preventive intervention or the """"""""usual care"""""""" control condition. Upon completion of the preventive intervention, students in both conditions will be reassessed using the CESD, the DISC-IV, and the AHA-2000 and will be tracked for follow-up assessments at 6 months. Students who meet DSM.-IV criteria for the above mentioned disorders will either be treated by on-site school based health center staff or referred for community-based service. The study will employ multiple data sources including: teachers' reports, school archival data and primary health care records.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21MH063230-02
Application #
6539235
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-RPHB-1 (01))
Project Start
2001-09-01
Project End
2004-06-30
Budget Start
2002-07-01
Budget End
2003-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$229,916
Indirect Cost
Name
De Paul University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60604
Robinson, W LaVome; Case, Mary H; Whipple, Christopher R et al. (2016) Culturally Grounded Stress Reduction and Suicide Prevention for African American Adolescents. Pract Innov (Wash D C) 1:117-128
Robinson, W LaVome; Droege, Jocelyn R; Case, Mary H et al. (2015) Reducing Stress and Preventing Anxiety in African American Adolescents: A Culturally- Grounded Approach. Glob J Community Psychol Pract 6: