Adolescent Wellness, Inc. (AWI) promotes earlier exercise - by all kids - of activities that prevent anxiety and depression.
Risk factors associated with mental illness include poor problem solving skills, inability to generate alternative solutions, elevated levels of stress and poor coping skills. Research confirms that all ages can learn how to frame problems, create more options and become better problem solvers:
- on average, social and emotional learning improves performance of the entire grade on standard achievement tests 11 percentile points (Weissberg R. & Durlak J., 2011)
- prevention programming reduces the incidence of depressive episodes and depressive symptoms in adolescents (Walker, 2010)
- the best way to prevent suicide is through the early recognition and treatment of depression and other psychiatric illnesses. (Wahlbeck K. & Makinen M., 2008)
The AWI goal is for every youth to have the insight to stay healthy and the language to help oneself or a friend communicate with an adult when help is needed.
If a child gets through adolescence without symptoms, he or she is far less likely to develop depression. Often called grit, or resilience, coping skills and knowledge strengthen one’s ability to overcome challenges and crises, more able to balance the weight of life’s worries. Every 22 youth practicing better coping skills prevents 1 case of depression (~Am J Psychiatry 2008; 165:1272–1280).
PIP Problems-Ideas-Plans
Professional services related to teen mentoring
Converting prevention research into practical and fun activities for use by children,
