About Steven: A children’s mental health case study about depression

By completing the About Steven case study, participants will:

• Use research in making practice decisions regarding infant and early childhood mental health.

• Examine the needs of children from an interdisciplinary perspective.

• Think holistically about working with other providers to serve children.

• Recognize the importance of prevention and early intervention in children’s mental health.

• Apply ecological and developmental perspectives to children’s mental health.

• Predict probable outcomes for children based on services they receive.

Currently, the About Steven case study is only available as part of an academic course. The About Steven case study is ideal for use within graduate course settings but can also be used in undergraduate course settings. It is designed to be used as a supplement to existing course curricula. This case study has been incorporated into courses and trainings related to:

• Child welfare.

• Education.

• Nursing, psychology, public health, social work, psychiatry, medicine, and other disciplines.

This case study consists of 11 chapters. Each chapter includes case story content, questions, critical learning components, and links to research.

The way this case study is set up, people can either:

• Read through and complete the activities fairly quickly.

• Dive in more deeply to the research and resources.

The exact length of time for completion is a function of how much an individual user wishes to engage with the content they have access to.  Participants average 15-25 minutes per chapter. They generally take an average of 2-3 hours to complete the whole case study.

Evaluation data has been collected from instructors, trainers, and users for the past ten years.

Feedback from instructors and trainers

“We love this case because it provides information at each major stage and it allows the students to see the developmental progression, and explore the supports and risk factors”

“I really like the format. Nice way to look at the whole situation.”

“I am currently developing an education module for school nurses to increase their awareness of teenage depression and teach them how to use the PHQ-9 as a screening tool.”

“Everyone was really engaged in the discussion. It was fun to hear the discussion again this year with a really different group of fellows!”

Feedback from participants

“The real-life information presented in this seminar series was incredibly helpful when thinking about the mental health of young people. I appreciated that we focused on one aspect of public health, so we could really dig deep into it. Our discussions were engaging and thought-provoking.”

“Solid case study as a way to discuss depression in pediatric and adolescent populations. Appreciated the interdisciplinary approach.”

“[This module] has been one of the few opportunities where we have been able to have interdisciplinary conversations, where each of us brings to the table their own trainings”.

“Interdisciplinary research is critical to seeing the various players in the lives of young people; great to think about how each profession has a separate role.”

“Very applicable!  These are situations that I encounter in my clinical work regularly.  I found the discussion insightful for how to approach my practice in a new way.”

“[The course discussions] pushed me to think of framework of mental health in a new way.”