Wellesley College presents: Preventing Youth Depression in a Digital Age

Terry R.G. Gladstone, Wellesley CollegeAs many as 13–20 percent of adolescents in the U.S. and other developed countries experience minor or major depressive episodes each year, according to Tracy Gladstone, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW). To address this problem, Gladstone developed a unique intervention, which she will discuss during the presentation, “Preventing Youth Depression in a Digital Age: An Internet-Based Approach,” on Thursday, May 10, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Cheever House, 828 Washington St, Wellesley. This program was rescheduled from its original March 8date due to snow. It is part of the spring Lunchtime Seminar Series hosted by WCW, a program of Wellesley College.

Dr. Gladstone and her team have developed and evaluated a self-guided, internet-based primary care intervention, CATCH-IT, to target adolescents (ages 13-19) at risk for depressive illness. CATCH-IT incorporates character stories and graphic elements to meet current social media standards and combines therapeutic modalities (e.g., cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal interventions) in an ecological model.

The Lunchtime Seminar Series at WCW is free and open to the public. Most programs are held Thursdays, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. at the Centers’ Cheever House location (828 Washington St, Wellesley), and parking is available on site. Guests are invited to bring their lunches; WCW will provide tea and coffee. For accessibility questions, contact Disability Services at Wellesley College at disabilityservices@wellesley.edu or call 781.283.2434. The Lunchtime Seminar Series schedule is subject to change. To confirm program lineup and location, call 781.283.2500 or visit wcwonline.org/calendar.