Supporting Student Health and Resiience

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Household incarceration (parent, sibling, extended relative) is an adverse childhood experience (ACE) that is strongly correlated with other family stressors and impacts over 2.5 million US children; predominantly youth of color and youth living in low income communities. Youth whose families interact with the criminal justice system can experience upward of 3 ACE and are more likely to use substances, have behavioral problems, and interact with the justice system themselves, differences that remain even in comparison to children who experience other disruptive events and conditions that increase vulnerability for risky behavior. The 2- to 7-fold increase in risk for substance use, substance use related risky behaviors, and school withdrawal among youth exposed to even one ACE, and the dose-response relationship between accumulated ACE and health threatening behaviors and compromised mental health, underscores the critical need to identify effective prevention strategies. “Supporting Student Health and Resilience (SHARE)” is a four-year quasi-experimental process and outcome evaluation of a prevention program tailored to meet the needs of adolescents whose families are involved in the criminal justice system. Pain of the Prison System (POPS) is a school-based program that embeds foundational socio-emotional competencies in creative, artistic self-expression and community engagement activities and fosters meaningful connections to peers and caring adults (key ingredients of resilience). The proposed project uses a longitudinal design to determine whether a) participation in the POPS program encourages growth in key developmental assets and socio-emotional competencies that promote healthy development; b) compares relative change over six time points in hypothesized protective factors (e.g., social connectedness, socioemotional competencies) across POPS, matched comparison, and general population students; and c) assesses whether participating in the POPS program curtails substance use, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and promotes positive school outcomes (GPA, standardized test scores, disciplinary events). In year 1, the proposed project will collect baseline data and conduct a process evaluation of POPS program delivered in 3 high schools in AK, 8 in CA, and 8 in GA. In years 2-3 the study will assess change in risk behavior, mental health, and school outcome trajectories of POPS participants, matched comparison group, and general population students. The study will also explore the role of sociocultural factors (e.g., perceived discrimination and ethnic identity) in developmental trajectories and program outcomes and assess potential program moderators (e.g., gender, ethnicity, SES). Promoting healthy behaviors and school achievement among youth impacted by household incarceration and associated ACE is a public health priority. This multipronged evaluation research study will: yield information about a) programmatic strengths and deficits; b) risk and resilience processes; and support the development of c) evidence-based prevention programming for vulnerable youth and d) a randomized effectiveness trial.