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ViewAttendees 4

Symposia

Transdiagnostic

Session: Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of the Unified Protocol for Adolescents: Implementation in Diverse Contexts

5 - (SYM 33) Feasibility of an Adapted UP-A for Racially and Ethnically Diverse High Schools

Friday, November 17, 2023
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM PST
Location: Ashnola (301), Level 3

Schools are an ideal setting to sustainably implement the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A) in "the places where youth are” due to their accessibility, consistency, and potential to engage services with less stigma. The purpose of this study was to gather community partner feedback regarding how to best adapt the UP-A in lower-resource, diverse high school settings, then utilize that feedback to guide intervention modifications and when conducting a case series of the adapted UP-A at the schools. High school teachers (n=13), administrators (n=5), students (n=9), caregivers (n=4), and mental health providers (n=5) were interviewed about the challenges that teens in their community face; they were then presented with UP-A materials and asked to provide feedback regarding how to best adapt it for a high school setting. Using a rapid qualitative analysis approach, seven key themes emerged from the stakeholder interviews: (1) Consider social determinants of health, (2) Include content related to social media and digital literacy, (3) Provide teachers and staff with training on identifying and referring to mental health services and basic psychoeducation, (4) Build trust and reduce stigma through a consistent presence in schools and taking a strengths-based approach, (5) Use qualified mental health providers to conduct culturally relevant sessions in person during school hours, (6) Consider flexible format offerings and extended intervention delivery window based on symptom severity and school logistics, and (7) Anticipate low parental engagement. These themes were used to guide UP-A adaptations for a case series implemented in two high diversity, low resourced high schools. This presentation will review qualitative feedback gained, intervention developments made, and case series (with N=13 adolescents) results using the adapted 9-session school-based UP-A across two groups (currently being collected). Presenters will reflect on challenges and successes of implementing an adapted UP-A, as well as discuss next steps for an upcoming randomized, controlled trial of this adapted UP-A in schools.