Promoting positive coping skills for rural youth: Benefits for at-risk young people

Abstract

To explore the effects of a coping skills program long term and to assess the utility of providing booster intervention. Young people at high risk for depression were of particular interest. Design: Mixed method. Setting: Rural Victoria (approximately 200 km from Melbourne). Participants: A total of 159 year 10 students (76 male and 83 female) from a Catholic Secondary school. Main outcome measures: Adolescent Coping Scale and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Results: Following initial coping skills training (with the Best of Coping program) students at risk for depression had significantly reduced their reliance on non-productive coping (P < . 0.05). This decrease was not maintaine..