Mindfulness Training for Adolescents with Conduct Problems
Our team is evaluating how a mindfulness-based intervention called Learning to Breathe may benefit adolescents with mild to moderate school-based conduct problems such as rule-breaking, aggression, and violence. In collaboration with colleagues at Colorado State University, we have developed a mobile app designed to augment the intervention by supporting practice of mindfulness skills in daily life, including during times of stress. Our team is evaluating how the app may improve outcomes in the Learning to Breathe intervention.
mHealth Tools in Adolescent Psychotherapy
This project is exploring how a new mental health app may improve adolescent psychotherapy for depression and anxiety. This app uses passive data collection and one daily question about mood to give users insights about how their habits (e.g., amount of time spent at home, exercise) impact their mood. This app can be integrated with psychotherapy to allow therapists increased insight into client’s behaviors and moods between sessions.
A New Intervention for Adolescents with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
Our research team is developing a new intervention for adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders called Teen E-IMR (Enhanced Illness Management Recovery). The comprehensive intervention will allow adolescents to receive integrated support related to both their mental health and substance use rather than pursuing separate interventions for each. The final program will be supported by multiple intervention components, including an adolescent-focused manual along with a parent/caregiver-focused manual, a facilitator guide to support ongoing delivery of the intervention, and a comprehensive training for facilitators who will deliver the program.
Supporting Gender-Expansive and Transgender Youth
This project is focused on creating a resource to support gender exploration and the coming out process for gender-expansive and transgender youth, with the goal of reducing risk for mental health symptoms, suicide, and substance use. Our multidisciplinary team has engaged gender-expansive and transgender youth in all stages of the project, including in a participatory design in which potential users of the resource are actively engaged in developing a design for a resource that will best meet their needs.
Secondary Data Analysis of Project Alliance I
Our team conducts secondary data analysis using a large longitudinal dataset evaluating the Family Check-Up. The Family Check-Up is a brief, family-centered, evidence-based intervention that involves assessment, feedback, and tailored support to enhance parenting skills and improve family dynamics. The Project Alliance I dataset follows participants from early adolescence into adulthood and includes observational data from family, peer, and couple interactions.