# School-Based Depression Prevention for Adolescents with ADHD

> **NIH NIH R34** · UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK · 2020 · $375,827

## Abstract

ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY
Children with ADHD are at elevated risk for depression in adolescence and young adulthood, and this
comorbidity is associated with far greater impairment than either disorder alone, including higher
rates of inpatient hospitalization and increased risk for suicidal ideation and behavior. Despite these
adverse outcomes, existing evidence-based interventions for ADHD have not demonstrated effects in
reducing depressive symptoms nor do established depression prevention programs work as well for
adolescents with ADHD. Reward responsivity (RR) and emotion regulation (ER) are two key factors
demonstrated to mediate the association between ADHD and depression and are thus key targets for
prevention. In an effort to address the gap between access and utilization of mental health care,
which is especially stark among adolescents with ADHD, we aim to develop and test a modified
behavioral activation prevention program [Behaviorally Enhancing Adolescents’ Mood in Schools
(BEAM-S)] that incorporates modules to directly target these purported mechanisms. In line with the
Deployment-Focused Model of Intervention Development and Testing, we will develop a program that
can be easily implemented and sustainable in the high school setting as delivered by school mental
health staff that reduces depression and improves overall functioning in adolescents with ADHD, by
way of improving RR and ER. As a first step, we will conduct focus groups with community
stakeholders (e.g., school mental health providers, school administration, adolescents, parents,
teachers) to develop an acceptable and sustainable selected and indicated prevention program for
school staff to utilize. We will then initially train school staff to deliver this prevention program via a co-
therapy training model to prepare them for their independent implementation of the prevention
program in a case series consisting of two groups (one in each of two high schools) to evaluate
preliminary feasibility. We will then conduct a stage 1 RCT with a hybrid-type 1 implementation-
effectiveness design in which four high schools will be randomized to either the BEAM-S condition (n
= 2) or treatment as usual (n = 2). Finally, qualitative and quantitative data from aims 1-3 will be used
to prepare final procedures for a future large-scale effectiveness trial R01 (aim 4).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9937851
- **Project number:** 5R34MH117086-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
- **Principal Investigator:** ANDREA CHRONIS-TUSCANO
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $375,827
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-07 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9937851

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9937851, School-Based Depression Prevention for Adolescents with ADHD (5R34MH117086-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9937851. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*