Click here for our May 2016 newsletter, which introduces our Center, and the four core Center partners. Check our our latest resources, upcoming newsletter issues and other resources for Mental Health Awareness Month and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month.
Mental Health Resources
Many mental/behavioral health issues first emerge during the adolescent and young adult years: Among adults with diagnosable mental health conditions, about half had symptoms emerge by age 18 and for about three-quarters, symptoms emerged by age 24.1
The partners of the Adolescent and Young Adult Health-National Resource Center have created numerous resources on mental health issues in adolescence and young adulthood over the years. Below is a sample of these resources by topic.
Programs that work
In partnership with Child Trends, NAHIC produced this brief on programs that work in reducing internalizing problems for adolescents (e.g., depression, anxiety). Evaluations of these programs used rigorous methodology, so these programs have a very strong evidence base
Provider Training
Given the shortage of mental health providers trained to serve youth, especially in rural areas, adolescent depression is often managed by primary care clinicians (e.g., pediatricians, family practice doctors, nurse practitioners). This presentation given by AYAH-NRC’s Dr. Irwin focuses on primary care management in adolescent depression, including screening, diagnosis and treatment options.
Monitoring mental health status
Since NAHIC published this classic 2008 brief, the data may have changed, but the monitoring systems generally have not. This is a good primer for data folks trying to understand how mental health status can be measured, including ideas for measuring positive mental function.
Impact on the life course
In partnership with Child Trends, NAHIC produced two easy-to-read reports on the consequences of adolescent depression throughout the life course:
- The first report examines how mental health problems in youth affected the likelihood of violence and sexual infidelity in adult relationships.
- The report assessed the long-term influence of moderate-to-severe depressive or suicidal symptoms in adolescence on the transition to adulthood. Problems examined include heavy alcohol use, illicit drug use, financial difficulties, and criminal behavior.
For you research types
You can go to the NAHIC page and click on “mental/behavioral health” or “mental/behavior health care” under Popular Topics to see abstracts for our peer-review articles, such as:
… the first peer-reviewed study of medical homes and the adolescent population found that researchers found very few adolescents with mental health conditions had received care in a medical home, especially for those who have both mental hea and physical health problems. Click here for an infographic on the study and a link to the abstract.
Coming very soon! More resources highlighting state resources and initiatives teen pregnancy prevention and mental health.
For a brief overview of state activities, check out AMCHP’s Environmental Scan: Addressing the Needs of Adolescents in State Title V Programs. This report is based on an environmental scanning process that synthesized adolescent-related data from state MCH Block Grant reports. Many state activities received direct funding from the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP) to implement curriculum-education programs, general youth development approaches, and more. Check out the environmental scan here.
Reference:
1. Kessler RC, Burglund P, Demler O, et al. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2005; 62 (6): 593-602. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593.
