Increasing Self-Empowerment related to Depression among Court-Involved Youth: The Moods Matter Project

An empirically-guided program designed to empower at-risk youth through increased knowledge of depression and prevention resources was developed and implemented. Ninety-three court-involved adolescents participated in the Moods Matter project, a four-part psycho-educational group experience rooted in the principles of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Addressing the disproportionate incidence of depression among court-involved youth and the need for short-term interventions that promote self-empowerment, the program was developed specifically for court-involved youth in out of home placement. The results of this exploratory pilot study found significant gains among participants related to increased knowledge of depression. Additionally, all participants successfully completed an individualized safety plan following the intervention. Nancy G. Calley, Ph.D., LPC is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Addiction Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Lisa D Hawley, Ph.D., LPC is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling at Oakland University. She can be reached at: [email protected].