The Youth Stress and Mood Program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is dedicated to improving health and mental health in children and adolescents, and developing and evaluating treatments and services for depression and suicide prevention. Our program focuses on enhancing coping and stress management in children and adolescents, supporting families in caring for their children, and developing services to meet the needs of children and families.  The program has federally funded research grants, provides clinical services, and involves collaborative work with community partners to strengthen community resources for depression and suicide prevention in youths. 

Co-directed by Dr. Joan Rosenbaum Asarnow and Dr. Jeanne Miranda, both Professors of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA, the Youth Stress and Mood Program is currently engaged in research studies that provide clinical care for children and adolescents presenting with depression, stress, suicide, anxiety, or other health concerns.  Following an initial evaluation, we may be able to provide services for children  and adolescents, which may include individual, family, or group treatments. Our program emphasizes evidence-based treatment, particularly cognitive-behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.  There is no charge for services offered through our studies and eligible participants will instead be financially compensated for participation.

The program also offers educational and training programs. Two evidence-based treatments developed through the Youth Stress & Mood Program, are listed in the National Registry of Evidence-Based Practices (NREPP) maintained by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These include: 1) a Depression Treatment Quality Improvement Intervention (DTQI), that emphasizes evidence based cognitive-behavior therapy, resources for medication evaluation and treatment, and team-based collaborative care among behavioral health and primary care clinicians; 2) the Family Intervention for Suicide Prevention (FISP), a cognitive-behavioral family treatment for youths after a suicide attempt or other suicidal episode, originally designed as an enhance mental health intervention in the Emergency Department, but adapted for inclusion in other clinical settings and as part of an outpatient program. 

For more information on our current research or educational programs, or to participate in one of our studies, please call:  310-794-4962.

LATEST NEWS FROM YOUTH STRESS & MOOD PROGRAM:

The UCLA-Duke ASAP Center website is live!

The UCLA-Duke ASAP Center is excited to share that our new website is now live! Our Center is a part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Through our Center, we train health and mental health care professionals in state of the art treatments for self-harm, suicide prevention, substance abuse, and depression among youth. Ultimately, we hope to empower families to recover from mental health problems and build lives they want to live. To learn more, you can explore our new website here!


Dr. Joan Asarnow & Other Experts Discuss Link Between Concussions & Suicide

This month, a new article came out in Healio, focusing on the link between concussions and suicide. Check out the article here to see what experts, including Dr. Joan Asarnow, have to say about this important public health issue. 


Directors: Joan Asarnow, Ph.D. & Jeanne Miranda, Ph.D. 

Site: 300 Medical Plaza at UCLA