Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP)

Practice Summary

The Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP) educates students, parents, and school professionals about depression and bipolar disorder to increase mental health literacy and encourage treatment-seeking behavior. Delivered in flexible 2-day or 3-day formats, the curriculum utilizes PowerPoint slides, interactive lectures, videos, and group activities to teach five core concepts: symptom identification, understanding medical decision-making, viewing depression as a treatable medical illness, recognizing parallels to physical illness, and understanding suicide as a potential consequence. The curriculum starts with an introduction to depression and stigma, moves on to symptoms of mania and depression, and concludes with a deeper look into mood disorders through interactive assignments like creating mood graphs and delivering group presentations.

            Cost
            FREE
        

            Practice Focus
            MH
        

Substance Use Prevention Category	Not Applicable
Practice Level	Individual
Substance Use Prevention Strategy	Not Applicable
Practice Components	Individual Mental Health Education Psychoeducation Skills Training Relationship Parenting Education/Skills Community/Society None
Population Age	Age 13-17
Populations of Focus	General Population
Settings	School (K-12)
Recommended Staffing	Teachers or educators
Prevention Focus	Mental Health Wellness and Promotion Focus Depression
Training and Technical Assistance	Any school-based professional can teach ADAP, even if one does not traditionally work in the classroom. Questions about training and technical assistance can be referred to adap@jhmi.edu.
Program Costs	Free. Please visit the developer's website listed above for updated information about implementation costs.
Adaptations	None

Risk and Protective Factors

Youth Substance Use Risk and Protective Factors

Level	Risk Factors	Protective Factors
Individual	Internalizing behaviors (e.g. anxiety, depression, social withdrawal) Negative emotional state	Strong coping skills (e.g., problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values)
Family and Relationships	None	Communication and contact between caregivers and youth Supportive relationships with family
School, Peer, and Community	Academic failure Low commitment to school	Schools and student bodies with strong academic commitment Physical and psychological safety Presence of mentors and healthy adults for positive emotional support

Youth Mental Health Risk and Protective Factors

Level	Risk Factors	Protective Factors
Individual	Low self-esteem Negative emotional state	Strong coping skills (e.g., problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values)
Family and Relationships	Caregiver experiences of anxiety and/or depression Family history of mental health problems	Communication and contact between caregivers and youth Supportive relationships with family
School, Peer, and Community	Bullying (either a victim or perpetrator) Lack of access to support services Academic failure Low commitment to school	Ability to make friends and get along well with others Physical and psychological safety Presence of mentors and healthy adults for positive emotional support

Shared Substance Use and Mental Health Risk and Protective Factors

Level	Risk Factors	Protective Factors
Individual	Negative emotional state	Strong coping skills (e.g., problem-solving skills, ability to stand up for beliefs and values)
Family and Relationships	None	Communication and contact between caregivers and youth Supportive relationships with family
School, Peer, and Community	Academic failure Low commitment to school	Physical and psychological safety Presence of mentors and healthy adults for positive emotional support

Empirical Evidence of Impact

Prevention Focus	Outcome	Population Age	Evidence Strength and Study Populations of Focus
Mental Health (General)	Changes in Knowledge, Attitudes, or Beliefs	High School	Moderate (General Population)^1–3

References

¹ Ruble, A. E., Leon, P. J., Gilley-Hensley, L., Hess, S. G., & Swartz, K. L. (2013). Depression knowledge in high school students: Effectiveness of the adolescent depression awareness program. Journal of affective disorders, 150(3), 1025-1030

² Swartz, K. L., Kastelic, E. A., Hess, S. G., Cox, T. S., Gonzales, L. C., Mink, S. P., & Raymond DePaulo Jr, J. (2010). The effectiveness of a school-based adolescent depression education program. Health Education & Behavior, 37(1), 11-22

³ Swartz, K., Musci, R. J., Beaudry, M. B., Heley, K., Miller, L., Alfes, C., ... & Wilcox, H. C. (2017). School-based curriculum to improve depression literacy among US secondary school students: A randomized effectiveness trial. American journal of public health, 107(12), 1970-1976

What California Providers Are Saying

We have not yet spoken to any California providers who have experience implementing Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP). If you have implemented the program, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us.