Youth Stress and Mood Program

Project Summary

Chronic sleep loss in youths has been identified as one of the most common and fixable public health issues in the United States. Healthy sleep patterns are associated with healthier weight, lower risk of involvement in automobile accidents, better grades, higher test scores, lower depression levels, and reduced risk of suicidal behavior. The YSAM program has begun a series of studies focusing on better understanding the impact of sleep problems on teen functioning and health and developing strategies for improving sleep in youths.

Current status: Project live

Project Summary

Project SAFE: Strengthening Adolescents and Families Everyday

We are currently recruiting participants 12–18 years of age and their parents to participate in a study testing a family-oriented strategy for helping teens to respond safely to stress in daily life. This study is intended to be an augmentation or an add-on to any existing treatment that the teen may be involved in; it is not intended to be a replacement. It involves the participation of a teen and at least one co-habiting caregiver. Your participation in the research may last up to a month. The teen and parent would be asked to complete one baseline assessment by phone, online or in-person, and additional brief tasks online via their smartphones. Eligible families will receive financial compensation up to $160.

Please email cvenables@mednet.ucla.edu or call 310-794-4962 now to learn more or participate! 

Current status: Project live

Project Summary

YSAM and our collaborators at Kaiser Permanente have recently received funding to compare the effectiveness of two treatments for preventing suicide and suicide attempts among youth. Specifically, we are comparing a usual care strategy with a stepped care approach, with the goal of improving services for youth and their families. All recruitment is being conducted at Kaiser Permanente. 

Current status: Project live

Project Summary

With our collaborators at Duke University, YSAM has recently developed the ASAP Center for Trauma-Informed Adolescent Suicide, Self-Harm, and Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention. This Center is a partner in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Through our Center, we train clinicians and healthcare providers in the best available treatments for depression, self-harm, substance abuse, and suicide among youth.

Current status: Project live

Project Summary

Dialectical Behavior Therapy was originally developed for adults by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D. at University of Washington in Seattle. This treatment has been adapted for youths and is designed to enhance skills and help youths to cope with stress, regulate intense emotions, and improve relationships with others. The Y-SAM Program is currently offering DBT skills groups for teens (ages 12-18) and their parents. The treatment combines cognitive-behavioral treatment strategies with an emphasis on understanding and validating experiences that individuals have had and mindfulness – the art of being fully present in the moment. For more information on mindfulness, visit Mindful Awareness Research Center.

The Youth Stress & Mood Program (Y-SAM) has begun recruitment for a new research study comparing the benefits of dialectical behavior therapy and individual and group supportive therapy. Please continue to check our website (research participation section) and/or call 310 794-4962 for more information. Treatments through research studies are generally available at no cost to those who meet eligibility criteria and choose to participate in this study. For more information on Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Supportive Therapy at UCLA, please call: 310-794-4962.

Current status: Project Ended

Project Summary

The S.O.S. program is a research study that provides treatment for childhood depression. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the aim of the S.O.S. Program is to learn new and better ways for treating childhood depression. In this safe, supportive, and confidential study, experienced therapists work with your child and family to improve depression and quality of life. A multi-site treatment study located at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Boston University (BU), the S.O.S. Program welcomes as participants children 7-13 years of age with childhood depression and at least one parent willing to take part in treatment.

Children eligible for the study will participate in one of two 14 week therapeutic programs designed to treat childhood depression:

• One program focuses on individual treatment in which the child will work one-on-one with a therapist. The goal is to provide emotional support and to encourage healthy behavior and coping.
• The other treatment program focuses on working with the family to help the child and parents work together to solve problems. The goal is to strengthen the child’s coping and teach the family how best to encourage their child’s healthy behavior.

Eligible children are assigned randomly (like flipping a coin) to either the individual or family treatment. The S.O.S. program aims to help children improve their ability to cope with distress and increase positive mood. In addition to receiving free treatment, families who take part in this program will also participate in three research interviews for which they will be paid.

For more information on the S.O.S. program, or to express interest in participating in this program, please call: 310-794-4962.

Current status: Project Ended

Primary Investigator: Joan Asarnow, Ph.D.

Project Summary

The SAFETY program focuses on youth suicide prevention. The program involves a clinical service as well as a research project funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The SAFETY Program offers treatments for youths and families aimed at helping prevent suicide attempts, suicidal episodes, and self-injurious behavior by enhancing skills for coping with stress and learning new and more effective ways for preventing suicidal behavior.

For more information on the SAFETY program, please call: 310-794-4962.

Current status: Project Ended