A statewide survey of parents reveals strong support for adolescent depression screening, tempered by concerns about stigma, privacy, and the administration of school-based programs.
Suggested Citation
New Jersey Parents’ Views of Adolescent Depression Screening. (2022). Project ASPEN. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University. Retrieved from https://cesp.rutgers.edu.
Our research shows that parents in New Jersey recognize the benefits of depression screening but have concerns regarding possible unintended effects and the administration of screening in schools. Effective communication that addresses these concerns is imperative to increasing support from parents to school- based depression screening. There is an alarming increase in the percentage of U.S. adolescents reporting depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, including in New Jersey. Early detection and treatment are key to preventing negative, long-term effects of depression in youth, and current guidelines recommend routine screening for depression in adolescents ages 12-18. Yet rates of adolescent depression screening remain extremely low.
Project ASPEN is a collaboration between a team of researchers from Rutgers University and the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Jersey (NAMI-NJ) to improve policy decision-makers’ access to credible and timely research evidence regarding different aspects of formulating and implementing sound youth mental health policies. The project is funded by a grant from the William T. Grant Foundation.