NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The challenge of being and raising a teenager has
gotten even more complicated in recent years, with increasing numbers
of teens now taking antidepressants to manage their distress. But
antidepressants are not the only or even the best long-term solution
for many troubled teens. A study underway at Vanderbilt University
offers parents and teens struggling with stress an opportunity to learn
skills to prevent depression and navigate the teenage years with
confidence.
The study, Teens Achieving Mastery Over Stress (TEAMS), is currently
recruiting new members and will continue to do so over the next year.
"Our preliminary study showed that the TEAMS program was effective
in preventing mood problems in teens," TEAMS director Judy Garber said.
"We are now testing it nationally."
To be eligible for the study, teens must be between 13 and 17 years
old and have a parent who has had depression. Parents and teens
participating in the study will be interviewed five times over 32
months. Families will receive a total of $400 for completing all
assessments over the course of the study.
Garber is a professor of psychology and an investigator in the
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for research on human development. TEAMS is
funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Other TEAMS sites
are Harvard University School of Medicine in Boston, University of
Pittsburgh Medical School and Kaiser Permanente Center for Health
Research in Portland, Ore.
For more information about the TEAMS project, call (615) 343-4141 or e-mail judy.garber@vanderbilt.edu. All inquiries are confidential.
Media contact: Melanie Catania, (615) 322-NEWS
Melanie.catania@vanderbilt.edu