What is the purpose of DPP?

The Developmental Pathways Project (DPP) is a research study that is designed to help us understand why some students have good emotional health, while others develop depression and disruptive behavior problems during their middle school years. The goal of the study is to find ways to support middle school students so that they can be healthy and successful.

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Who funds DPP?

Funding for the Developmental Pathways Project comes from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, and the Nesholm Foundation.

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How is confidentiality protected?

Confidentiality of the identity of and information about study participants is protected in a number of ways:

• by using study codes instead of names on research materials.
• by having all DPP staff sign oaths of confidentiality promising not to share study information with anyone.
• by storing all completed questionnaires in locked files at the UW.
• by protecting study computers from unauthorized use.
• by having a Certificate of Confidentiality from the federal government.

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Why is this study important?

• We know that depression is a common and often overlooked problem in adolescents.
• An increasing number of children experience high levels of distress during their middle school years.
• Depression often goes undetected and is best identified in adolescents through self-report.
• Distressed children often have multiple problems.
• Depression and disruptive behavior in childhood are associated with school failure and other adverse outcomes later in life.
• Depression and disruptive behavior in children can be effectively treated and prevented.

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What is study design?

The Developmental Pathways Project incorporates these research design elements:

• Community-based – DPP takes place in schools and home with a representative sample of students from the Seattle community.
• Longitudinal – the study follows the progress of students over time.
• Developmental – DPP focuses on the important developmental period of early adolescence.
• Multi-perspective – members of the research team include experts from public health, sociology, child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry.
• Collaborative – the project is a collaboration between the University of Washington and the Seattle Public School District.
• Two-stage – the study is conducted in two parts: classroom screening of all 6th grade students and 2-year follow-up of a sample of 650 families.

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How does DPP benefit participants?

• Participants will make an important contribution towards understanding and preventing common health problems that interfere with school success.
• A UW child mental health professional will work with students who are identified as being “at risk” and their parents to help link them to appropriate services.
• Students and parents are given a monetary thank you.

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How does DPP benefit the community?

DPP will help us to learn a lot about depression and other behavioral disorders:

• How temperament, stress, support, and puberty are related to the onset of mental health problems during the middle school years.
• How and why depression and disruptive behavior in children commonly co-occur.
• What are economical and accurate ways to identify children early who are at high risk.
• Develop interventions that will strengthen children at risk of depression and disruptive behavior problems so that they can be successful at school, avoid drug and alcohol use, and manage their symptoms.

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Who is eligible to participate?

• We screen all interested 6th grade students whose parents give permission.
• We include as many ESL and special ed students as possible.
• We invite a random sample of 6th graders and their parent/guardians to participate in the longitudinal part of the study.
• Participation is voluntary.
• We’d like to screen all 6th graders!

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What does Screening involve?

• All 6th graders at 4 middle schools are invited to participate.
• Screening occurs once a year in the fall.
• All interested students with parental permission complete a brief screening questionnaire during 1 class period.
• Screening questionnaires are scored at UW.
• Students who have high screening scores are given follow-up by UW mental health professionals and referral to services at school or in the community as needed.

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What does the follow-up study involve?

• 25% of screened students are randomly chosen to participate.
• Students with both high and low screening scores are included.
• Interviews are conducted with students and their parents/guardians by trained UW interviewers.
• Interviews take place in the community (i.e. at the participant home, our UW offices, library etc.)
• Questionnaires are given every 6 months during 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, a total of 5 interviews.
• Students and parents receive $$ as a thank you for participating.

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Who can I contact if I have more information?