Johns Hopkins MedicineProgram Will Address Mental Health in Middle Schools

Early Intervention in Mental Health: Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Middle School Education

In response to the growing concern about adolescent mental health, Johns Hopkins psychiatrists Claire Zachik and Karen Swartz have initiated a program aimed at middle school students to foster early recognition and management of anxiety and depression. Leveraging their expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry, the program seeks to provide students with the necessary tools to identify and cope with mental health issues, addressing a critical knowledge gap that often leaves young individuals struggling in silence.

Key Points:

• Claire Zachik, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, has observed a significant gap in young teens’ understanding of anxiety, prompting the development of an educational program.
• The program, ADAP Jr. High, expands on the Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP) initiated by Karen Swartz in 1999, targeting middle school students to educate them about anxiety and depression.
• ADAP Jr. High is designed to offer nine 15-minute lessons with animated videos, focusing on topics such as distinguishing between helpful and unhelpful anxiety.
• Students will learn coping skills appropriate for their developmental stage, including breathing techniques and seeking adult guidance.
• The initiative includes free online training for teachers and counselors, emphasizing the program’s accessibility and potential for wide-reaching impact.
• The urgency of the program is underscored by the increased mental health crises among adolescents, particularly highlighted by the pandemic’s effects on this demographic.
• Funding from the Buerger Family Foundation and Dalio Philanthropies has been pivotal in supporting the development and implementation of ADAP Jr. High.
• Since its inception, ADAP has trained more than 3,400 instructors and reached more than 137,000 students across various states, demonstrating its scalability and effectiveness.

In 2022, the CDC reported that among high school students nationwide, significant increases occurred between 2009 and 2019 in having persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (26.1% to 36.7%), having seriously considered attempting suicide (13.8% to 18.8%), and having attempted suicide (6.3% to 8.9%).

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