Posts

You’ve got a friend: young people help each other with their mental health for 3.5 hours every week

By Benjamin Hanckel, Amelia Henry, Erin Dolan & Jasbeer Musthafa Mamalipurath, Reprinted from The Conversation Young people experience mental health difficulties at a higher rate than any other age group. While there’s ongoing discussion about the formal supports they need, young people say they’re most likely to speak with peers and friends – particularly when […]

What factors can sustain indigenous youth mentoring programs?

Sanchez, J., Maiden, J., Barton, E., Walters, L., Quinn, D., Jones, N., Doyle, A. K., & Lim, D. (2023). Factors that sustain indigenous youth mentoring programs: A qualitative systematic review. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 429.  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15253-2 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Indigenous youths have disproportionally lower quality mental health and well-being ratings than their non-Indigenous […]

Monitoring digital youth counseling interventions: Understanding the demographic profiles and outcome changes

Blackshaw, E., Sefi, A., Mindel, C., Maher, H., & De Ossorno Garcia, S. (2023). Digital mental health outcome monitoring for a structured text-based youth counselling intervention: Demographic profile and outcome change. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12461 Summarized by Ariel Ervin  Notes of Interest: Although the mental health needs of young people are increasing, a quarter […]

[Webinar] Jean Rhodes and Alexandra Werntz: Scaling mental health services through technology-enhanced mentoring

Date: Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, Central Time Description: 2022-2023 Digital Mental Health Lecture Series The Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs) Northwestern University, in collaboration with the Society for Digital Mental Health  Jean Rhodes, Ph.D. and Alexandra Werntz, Ph.D. University of Massachusetts, Boston, Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring  “Scaling mental health […]

Teen Girls Are Faring Worse Than Boys on Nearly All Mental Health Measures—Here’s Why

By Anita Slomski, Reprinted from JAMA Network Child and reproductive psychiatrist Misty Richards, MD, MS, puts it bluntly: “Our teen girls are not okay.” The program director for UCLA’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship recently cared for a girl who attempted suicide after receiving a college rejection letter. “Her self-worth was measured in achievement and […]

Digital Mental Health Use and the Role of Paraprofessionals: A Conversation with Dr. Bethany Teachman

 Interviewed By Megyn Jasman Q: Dr. Teachman, you have been involved in mental health and evidence-based skill literature for a while. What made you interested in digital mental health interventions and the role of technology in mental health care?  I am not someone who you might have predicted would get involved in digital mental health […]

New review discusses how paraprofessional providers can expand school-based motivational interviewing

Hart, M. J., McQuillin, S. D., Iachini, A., Weist, M. D., Hills, K. J., & Cooper, D. K. (2023). Expanding school-based motivational interviewing through delivery by paraprofessional providers: A Preliminary Scoping Review. School Mental Health.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-023-09580-3 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Schools are a common source of mental health for youths with elevated […]

WT Grant Foundation: Emergency Exits: Avenues for New Research to Improve Youth Outcomes after COVID

By Anya Kamenetz, reprinted from the William T. Grant Foundation Journalist Anya Kamenetz is a writer who makes extensive use of research in her reporting—so much so that, in 2022, the American Educational Research Association recognized her with its Excellence In Media Reporting On Education Research Award. But as she learned while reporting on the […]

Finding a balance: The benefits of integrating youth- and goal-focused approaches in youth mentorships

Werntz, A., Poon, C. Y. S., & Rhodes, J. E. (2023). Striking the balance: The relative benefits of goal- and youth-focused approaches to youth mentoring relationships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01751-4 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Evidence suggests that targeted, goal-focused mentoring approaches are more effective than non-specific mentoring approaches in promoting a variety […]

Human support for digital mental health interventions: a promising approach

Werntz, A., Amado, S., Jasman, M., Ervin, A, & Rhodes, J. (2023). Providing human support for the use of digital mental health interventions: Systematic meta-review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25. https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e42864 Summarized by Megyn Jasman Notes of Interest: Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are popular because research has shown that many are effective. However, many […]