Testing a coping skills program for stressed teenagers in low-income communities

This trial is testing a program called Building a Strong Identity and Coping Skills (BaSICS) designed to help teenagers manage anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. The program teaches practical coping strategies, helps young people develop a stronger sense of identity, and encourages collective problem-solving as ways to handle ongoing stress. Researchers want to confirm that this program actually works and to understand how it affects both the mind and body's stress response systems.

Many teenagers from low-income and marginalized communities experience high levels of chronic stress, anxiety, and depression, but may not have easy access to mental health treatment. This trial exists to prove whether this new treatment can help fill that gap and provide teenagers with tools they can use to feel better and build resilience.