Current Projects

Funding Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Principal Investigators: Sarah Kate Bearman & John R. Weisz

Children and adolescents treated in outpatient mental health care span a broad range of problems and disorders, with substantial comorbidity, and their most pressing problems and treatment needs may shift during treatment. These challenges may be addressed by treatment that is flexible and transdiagnostic. FIRST, a transdiagnostic, principle-based approach for the treatment of behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents was created in collaboration with community practitioners and intervention scientists to support efficient learning and implementation by clinicians. This 5-year randomized controlled effectiveness trial will provide a more definitive test of FIRST, an initial investigation of a candidate mechanism of change, and tests of therapist characteristics that may predict and moderate implementation of evidence-based practices. This multi-site study involves a research partnership with Dr. John R. Weisz at Harvard University as well as clinic partnerships in Austin (Integral Care) and Boston.

Mental Health Literacy Curriculum for Middle Schools

Funding Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Principal Investigators: Sarah Kate Bearman & Molly Lopez

Mental health concerns are common among youth and rates are increasing, necessitating interventions that foster access to and engagement with mental health services when needed, and that promote wellness. While school-based mental health literacy (MHL) interventions hold promise, results of effectiveness trials have yielded mixed results on youth outcomes. The current project will develop and test the effectiveness of a MHL program for middle school youth. The existing evidence-based for youth MHL programs, mental health promotion, and coping skills will inform program development, which will also involve co-design with an advisory committee of school-based mental health providers, teachers, policymakers, and those with lived experience of youth mental health concerns. The program will be a flexible, principle-guided MHL intervention that can be applied across multiple delivery models within middle school settings (e.g., in pull-out groups, as a universal curriculum, integrated with other course content). The program will be aligned with state and national educational standards and informed by best practices in educational pedagogy and mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention. Once developed, the MHL program will be field-tested in middle schools that serve diverse students and that have a high representation of students from economically marginalized or racially/ethnically minoritized populations. Field testing will prioritize feasibility and acceptability with rapid iterative development, gathering feedback and refining when possible. Preliminary evidence of benefit on youth outcomes will also be assessed. After field testing, an open trial pilot study will assess the efficacy, acceptability, and feasibility of the MHL program.

Thriving Together: Testing ParentCorps in Corpus Christi

Funding Source: Morris L. Lichtenstein, Jr Medical Research Foundation

Principle Investigators: Sarah Kate Bearman and Esther J. Calzada

Children do best when parents and teachers work together to support their development and learning. Yet many school systems struggle to effectively engage with parents as valued partners. ParentCorps, a scalable early childhood program for pre-k students and their families, was developed to effectively embed evidence-based interventions for both children and parents into high-poverty schools serving primarily families of color to achieve long-term positive outcomes for children. The main goals of ParentCorps are to engage and support communities of parents and early childhood teachers, promote nurturing and predictable home and classroom experiences for young children, and strengthen children’s learning, behavior, and health. The study will use a quasi-experimental design to assess the program’s impact on school, teacher, parent, and child outcomes.

An Observational Study of Treatment Integrity: ESPs in Effectiveness Studies

Principal Investigator: Sarah Kate Bearman

Child and adolescent therapy process research has a long history, but much of the research is descriptive, with no linkage between process and outcome. An important step toward addressing this limitation has been the development and use of observational coding systems that rely upon direct observation by trained observers to produce data that are objective, and detail-specific in regards to what procedures therapists actually use in-session. This study will examine recorded sessions (both video and audio) of therapists delivering therapy to children and adolescents treated in community mental health clinics as part of treatment outcome research, and use observational coding methodology to 1) characterize the therapeutic strategies used by therapists, 2) examine the adherence and competency of therapists using ESPs in real-world settings, and 3) examine the use of non-specific therapeutic strategies in “ESP” sessions delivered in real-world settings. This study involves a partnership with Dr. John R. Weisz at Harvard University and Judge Baker Children’s Center.