Drug Education Curriculum: Intervention, Diversion and Empowerment

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Drug Education Curriculum: Intervention, Diversion and Empowerment

iDECIDE was created in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Addiction Medici

02/25/2025

Excited to highlight a recent publication from our center: “Understanding Adolescent Mental Health Symptom Progression in School-Based Settings: The Substance Use and Risk Factors (SURF) Longitudinal Survey”.

To Read the Study:
Visit: https://shorturl.at/F3dN5
or scan the QR code on the screen.

Dr. Meghan A. Costello introduces this work and it’s importance in this “Meet the Author” saying: Amid the youth mental health crisis, school-wide screening is often used to track symptoms, but each of these surveys only captures a single snapshot of an adolescent’s mental health. I believe that longitudinal research is key to understanding how mental health develops over time, but doing repeated survey research with youth can be challenging. Our team developed an algorithm to use answers to 7 “silly” questions (think: eye color, third letter of your first name, number of older siblings, etc.) to link together survey responses across time without needing any personally identifiable information. This method promotes honesty (through anonymity), youth research autonomy (by not requiring traditional parental consent), and privacy (by foregoing any individually identifiable information). Thank you so much to the high schoolers and team who make this possible!”

Study synopsis: The adolescent mental health crisis has prompted a need for improved understanding of developmental trajectories of psychopathology to promote understanding of risk and protective factors and bolster prevention and intervention efforts. This work aims to characterize longitudinal trajectories of mental health including substance use in large, community-based samples, as well as the individual school and community-level risk and protective factors that may modulate the expression of mental health symptoms over time.

Key Words: adolescence, mental health, substance use, longitudinal development, school-based screening

01/21/2025

Are you feeling down? Are you no longer enjoying activities you used to enjoy? It’s common for us to experience the “winter blues”, but some people can be diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a major depressive disorder that has a seasonal pattern, especially during the winter months.

As the temperatures drop, remember that you are not alone and that your feelings are valid. Scroll to see common symptoms of SAD and what you can do to manage these symptoms.

Image description:
Title says “What is Seasonal Depression?” with a man and a woman shivering underneath. Below that image says “Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of major depression that has a seasonal pattern, most commonly during the winter months.” The next slide highlights six common symptoms of SAD. The third slide title says “Who is Affected by SAD?” And lists those at higher risk of developing SAD. There is also a melting snowman icon. The fourth slide’s title says “How Can I Manage Symptoms? Surrounding the title are six sections with tips for managing SAD symptoms. These include: “Go outside and get some sunlight” with a sun icon, “Spend time with family and friends” with a family illustration, “Exercise” with a man and woman stretching , “Regular sleep” with a woman sleeping, “Add more Vitamin D into your diet” with a Vitamin D prescription bottle, and “Talk to a mental health professional” with a woman doctor. The last slide depicts a snowy landscape with text validating the reader’s feelings during the winter months and reminding them to speak to a mental health professional if symptoms worsen.

Address

101 Merrimac Street
Boston, MA
02114

Telephone

+16176434382

Website

http://www.iDECIDEmyfuture.org/

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