Blues Program Launch

esterday's launch of the Blues Program for teens was a deeply personal and purposeful decision. It was a tribute to my late son, who tragically died due to untreated mental health challenges. I often wonder if he would still be here today if community health programs such as the Blues Program were available. While I can't change the past, I'm committed to ensuring that the teens in our community have the resources they need to manage stress, depression, and anxiety. The Blues Program is one such resource.

The Blues Program stands out with its unique goal of reducing negative cognition and increasing engagement in pleasant activities to prevent the onset and persistence of depression in high school students exhibiting depressive symptoms. The curriculum for the program, unlike others, uses evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral strategies to teach teens emotional resilience over six weeks in a small peer group of 4-8 peers. The one-hour-a-week sessions focus on building group rapport, increasing participant involvement in pleasant activities, learning and practicing cognitive restructuring techniques, and developing response plans to future life stressors. Each week includes home practice assignments to reinforce the skills and help teens learn how to apply them daily.

The program has shown significant positive effects in the short term, increasing positive thinking patterns and engagement in pleasant activities. Even more encouraging, two years after the program, teens continued to report fewer depressive symptoms. Those who participated in the program also demonstrated lower rates of major depressive disorder and substance use compared to control groups. These outcomes offer hope and promise for the future of our teens.

These outcomes may provide just enough time for teens struggling with their mental health to exit the tumultuous period often found in adolescence and the maturation of the brain. The Blues Program can make a difference for teens, which is why I selected the curriculum and am driven to get the message out to the community.

For the Love of Shay