In Rhode Island, approximately 26% of middle school students and 32% of high school students report depressive symptoms. Adolescent depression can lead to higher rates of hospitalizations, poor educational attainment, and higher rates of suicide attempts in the future.

The Hassenfeld Institute will partner with public school systems in Rhode Island to implement an adolescent depression prevention program. The program has 3 aims:

• Increasing mental health literacy in schools
• Widespread depression screening among students and 
• Connecting students to local mental health services