1. The Efficacy of a Universal School-Based Program to Prevent Adolescent Depression.
- Author
-
Shochet, Ian M., Dadds, Mark R., Holland, Denise, Whitefield, Kathy, Harnett, Paul H., and Osgarby, Susan M.
- Subjects
- *
DEPRESSION in adolescence , *CHILD psychology , *SCHOOL environment - Abstract
Evaluated whether a universal school-based program, designed to prevent depression in adolescents, could be effectively implemented within the constraints of the school environment. Participants were 260 Year 9 secondary school students. Students completed measures of depressive symptoms and hopelessness and were then assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (a) Resourceful Adolescent Program-Adolescents (RAP-A), an 11-session school-based resilience building program, as part of the school curriculum; (b) Resourceful Adolescent Program-Family (RAP-F), the same program as in RAP-A, but in which each student's parents were also invited to participate in a 3-session parent program; and (c) Adolescent Watch, a comparison group in which adolescents simply completed the measures. The program was implemented with a high recruitment (88%), low attrition rate (5.8%), and satisfactory adherence to program protocol. Adolescents in either of the RAP programs reported significantly lower levels of depressive symptomatology and hopelessness at post-intervention and 10-month follow-up, compared with those in the comparison group. Adolescents also reported high satisfaction with the program. The study provides evidence for the efficacy of a school-based universal program designed to prevent depression in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF