The Impact of a Resilience-Building Intervention with Indianapolis Latino Teenagers

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Data shows that Indiana Latino high school students face a 65 percent higher rate of suicide attempts and a 24 percent higher rate of depression than their non-Hispanic white peers. Together with the help of the Latino Health Organization, a team of researchers performed a pilot study to investigate this and from the findings developed a one-year resilience-building intervention called Your Life. Your Story. This program aims to increase self-mastery and resilience, as well as decrease rates of depression. This is accomplished through evidence-based, interdisciplinary components such as art, physical activity, and a resilience-building curriculum. In the summer of 2014, 30 Latino teens, ages 12 to 17, became the first to participate in the Your Life. Your Story pilot program. Methods: To evaluate the effectiveness of the program on increasing resilience and decreasing depression at the program’s six-month mark, participants completed surveys. The Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS) was utilized to measure depression, and the Resilience, Attitudes, and Skills Profile (RASP) was utilized to measure resilience. Paired samples t-tests were utilized to measure changes over time, from the data collected prior to the program start. Results: At the program’s six-month mark, depression levels (M=4.16, SD=4.018) continue to have decreased significantly, t(17)=2.270, p=0.037, and a significant increase in resilience (M=114.88, SD=14), has also been sustained, t(22)=-2.221, p=0.037. Conclusions: Results suggest that the Your Life. Your Story. Program is creating a significant impact on the Latino teen participants in regards to depression and resilience levels. More data will be collected at the end of the program (June 2016) and will be analyzed to evaluate the overall impact of the program.