An Interpersonal Approach for Reducing Peer Victimization and Preventing Social Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents
Trauma is Everywhere but so is Resilience
May 31, 2021
Domestic Violence during the Pandemic
September 29, 2021Join us on Friday, October 8, 2021 10am-12pm EST for an online course
An Interpersonal Approach for Reducing Peer Victimization and Preventing Social Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents
This course is offered at no cost to participants, with a suggested donation of $25-100 to support our work to prevent violence and promote safer communities. For those requesting CE credits, there is a charge of $35.
When:
October 8, 2021
10am-12pm EST
2 Continuing Education Credit offered for Psychologists, LCSW, LMHC & LMFT
*Florida License Only for LCSW, LMHC & LMFT
Certificate of completion available upon request to be self-reported to other boards. The Melissa Institute cannot guarantee credits for other boards.
About:
Studies reveal that 20-30% of high-school-aged adolescents report peer victimization (PV) experiences that occur on a regular basis. The most common PV experiences are interpersonal and focus on being left out/excluded by peers or having one’s reputation damaged; teens’ high use of technology has exacerbated this problem. In fact, most adolescents do not disclose PV to others, and if they do, they are more likely to tell friends than parents or teachers. Further, high rates of interpersonal PV are associated with significant feelings of social anxiety and depression, which interfere with adolescents’ interpersonal and educational functioning. Despite these concerns, few anti-bullying programs have been developed for high-school aged youth, and most existing programs focus on overt bullying rather than the more subtle (and less detectable) interpersonal forms of PV.
As a result, Dr. La Greca modified an evidence-based depression-prevention program, Interpersonal Psychotherapy – Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), to address the problem of interpersonal PV and reduce teens’ feelings of social anxiety and depression. This modified intervention program is called UTalk. In the presentation, Dr. La Greca will describe the rationale and development of UTalk and present the latest findings on its effectiveness. She also will review the key elements of UTalk in some detail, so that those in the mental health field might begin to implement UTalk strategies with adolescents in school or community settings.
Learning Objectives:
Participant will be able to:
- Learn about the impact of interpersonal peer victimization on adolescents.
- Identify the types of peer victimization experiences that adolescents encounter most frequently.
- Identify strategies to use with adolescents to improve their interpersonal communication and peer relations.
Presenter:
Annette M. La Greca, PhD, ABPP
Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics
Director of Clinical Training
University of Miami, Coral Gables FL
She is a nationally and internationally recognized expert on the impact of trauma on youth and families and the impact of peer relations on youths’ physical and mental health. Her work has focused on youth “risk and resilience” and strategies for promoting resilience in youth. She studied youth and families’ risk and resilience following Hurricanes Andrew (1992), Charley (2004), Ike (2008), and Irma (2017), and is the author of After the Storm: A Guide to Help Children Cope in the Aftermath of Hurricanes, as well as the recent book on Helping Children and Families Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Annette has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles and chapters and written or edited 16 books. Her work has been recognized by multiple awards, including the Distinguished Research Award from the Society of Pediatric Psychology, the International Scholar Award from the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund, the Distinguished Women Scholars Award from Purdue University, and the Distinguished Career Award from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. She also received a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association for her Outstanding Contributions to Science, Practice, and Education Within the Fields of Clinical-Child and Pediatric Psychology.
For general attendance (no CEs requested), Register Here:
Register in advance for this meeting:
For Continuing Education (CEs), Register Here:
Donations encouraged $25-100
The Melissa Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Melissa Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
This activity has been approved for 2 credit hour, CE Broker Course #20-853189, by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling.
Annette La Greca, Ph.D., ABPP, indicated that neither she nor her spouse/partner has relevant financial relationships with commercial interest companies, and she will not include off-label or unapproved product usage in her presentation or discussion.
Other non-faculty contributors and others involved in the planning, development, and editing/review of the content have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.