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://journals.lww.com/mcnjournal/Abstract/1998/07000/School_Based_Intervention_to_Promote_Coping_in.5.aspx

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 41

Population:

• Age — 14–19 years (Mean=15.8 years)
• Race/Ethnicity — 95.1% Caucasian
• Gender — 56.1% Female and 43.9% Male
• Status — Participants were rural high school students with depressive symptomatology.

Location/Institution: Not specified

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of this study was to evaluate an intervention [now called Teaching Kids to Cope (TKC)] designed to help high school students with depressive symptomology to effectively cope. Students with depressive symptomatology were randomized into control or intervention groups. Measures 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 groups demonstrated reduced depressive symptoms in females and a wider range of coping, compared with controls. The RADS scores of female participants in the intervention group decreased significantly on post testing, whereas RADS scores among females in the control group actually increased at the posttesting. There was no significant change in RADS scores of the males over time in either the control or the intervention group. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, generalizability due to ethnicity and geographic setting, small sample size, and lack of postintervention 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
Number of Participants: 89

Population:

• Age — 14.1–18.3 years (Mean=16 years)
• Race/Ethnicity — 98.9% 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: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a group-administered, cognitive-behavioral interventions method, Teaching Kids to Cope (TKC), on rural adolescents. Subjects were randomly assigned to TKC and to the control usual care condition. A booster session was randomly administered at 9 months follow-up to intervention subjects. Measures include the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS) and the Coping Response Inventory-Youth (CRI-Y). Results indicated improvement in depressive symptomatology and certain coping skills. Students in TKC reported a higher use of cognitive problem-solving coping strategies. Limitations include reliance on self-reported measures, generalizability due to ethnicity and geographic settings, and length of postintervention follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 3 months (A booster session was administered at 9-month follow-up to approximately half of the intervention subjects who continued to participate in the study, decreasing the length of the postintervention follow-up).