Teaching Kids to Cope (TKC)

Students in High School.

Teaching Kids to Cope (TKC) is a classroom-based group experience to promote and maintain mental health in adolescents through lecture, group discussions, role playing, brainstorming, handouts, group projects, and practice of problem-solving skills. Typical session topics will include:

• Learning to trust
• Developing a positive self image
• Identifying life stresses
• Identifying positive and negative ways of coping with stress.

Specific techniques for positive coping will be practiced in the group in relation to such stresses as family relationships, school problems, and peer relationships.

Kathryn Puskar, PhD

• Website: http://www.pitt.edu/~krp12/
• Email: krp12@pitt.edu
• Phone: (412) 624-6933

Publicly available information indicates there is some training available for this program. See contact info.

Manual Information

There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Training Information

There is training available for this program.

Child Welfare Outcome: Child/Family Well-Being

“What is included in the Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research section?”

• Lamb, J. M., Puskar, K. R., Sereika, S. M., & Corcoran, M. (1998). School-based intervention to promote coping in rural teens. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 23(4), 187–194. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005721-199807000-00005

  Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial

  Participants: 41

  Sample / Population:

  • Age — 14–19 years (Mean=15.8 years)
  • Race/Ethnicity — 95% Caucasian
  • Gender — 56% Female and 44% Male
  • Status —

    Participants were rural high school students with depressive symptomatology.

  Location/Institution: Not specified

  Summary:

  The purpose of the study was to evaluate a program [now known as Teaching Kids to Cope (TKC)] designed to help high school students with depressive symptomology to effectively cope. Participants were randomized to the TKC intervention group or the control group, in which participants received services as usual. Measures utilized include the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS), the Jalowiec Coping Scale (JCS), the Life Events Checklist (LEC) and the Student Information Form. Results indicate that the intervention group (TKC) demonstrated reduced depressive symptoms in females and a wider range of coping compared with controls. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, lack of generalizability due to ethnicity and students in other geographical settings, and lack of follow-up.

  Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

• Puskar, K., Sereika, S., & Tusaie-Mumford, K. (2003). Effect of the Teaching Kids to Cope (TKC) program on outcomes of depression and coping among rural adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 16(2), 71–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6171.2003.tb00350.x

  Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial

  Participants: 89

  Sample / Population:

  • Age — 14.1–18.3 years (average 16 years)
  • Race/Ethnicity — 99% White
  • Gender — 82% Female
  • Status —

    Participants were rural high school students with depressive symptomatology.

  Location/Institution: Four rural high schools from the southwestern region of Pennsylvania

  Summary:

  The purpose of the study was to test the effectiveness of a group-administered, cognitive-behavioral intervention, Teaching Kids to Cope (TKC) on rural adolescents. Participants were randomized to the TKC intervention group or the control group, in which participants received services as usual. Measures utilized include the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS) and the Coping Response Inventory-Youth (CRI-Y). Results indicate that there were improvements in depressive symptomatology and certain coping skills. In addition, students in TKC reported a higher use of cognitive problem-solving coping strategies. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, lack of generalizability due to ethnicity and students in other geographical settings, and length of follow-up.

  Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 months.

There are currently no references available for Teaching Kids to Cope.