Screening, Tracking and Treatment for Anxiety and Depression in Community Colleges
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11400438 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scalable, student-centered program at community colleges helps students screen for anxiety and depression, track progress, and access appropriate care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,678,335 |
| NIH project number | 5P50MH126337-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400438 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are students at East Los Angeles College and similar community colleges who experience anxiety or depression and are seeking support.
✕Less likely to help
Students without mental health concerns or those who do not engage with the program may see no benefit.
What this research studies
This project would bring a proven mental health support system to diverse community college students, using online screening and stepped care options from self-guided tools to clinician-delivered treatment. It builds on a system already tested at a university and adapted with ELAC to fit local needs, with ongoing collaboration with college administrators and students. The goal is to quickly identify distress, tailor care, and monitor suicidality to reduce the impact of depression and anxiety on academics and well-being.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, students could experience better mental health, improved academic performance, and easier access to appropriate care.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier work at UCLA demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness of STAND, with adaptation ongoing for ELAC.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Craske, Michelle G — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Craske, Michelle G
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Environmental and psychological stressors shaping anxiety, depression, and alcohol-related health issues in people with HIV
A patient-facing overview of how stress, mental health, and alcohol use interact with HIV to influence health and aging in people living with HIV.
-
Modeling how early caregiver responses shape brain development linked to anxiety and depression in young children
A study in 0-11 year olds explores how negative emotions and caregiver reactions influence developing brain networks tied to emotion, attention, and self-regulation, with the aim of understanding pathways to anxiety and depression.
-
Understanding why some people in alcohol recovery have more anxiety and depression linked to the BNST brain network
This project looks at how differences in a tiny brain network called the BNST relate to anxiety and depression in people who are recently stopping alcohol.
-
Sleep to calm the brain’s emotion network and ease depression and anxiety
A Stanford-led study tests a proven sleep program to help adults with insomnia and mood symptoms feel better by potentially stabilizing the brain networks involved in emotion.
-
Optimizing human and digital support in a meditation app for depression and anxiety
A study at UW–Madison will test how adding small amounts of coaching and reminders to a popular meditation app can help people with depression or anxiety use it more and feel better.
-
Fairer quality scores for depression and anxiety care
This project checks whether depression and anxiety care ratings work fairly for different patients, especially Black patients, and aims to fix unfair scoring rules.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.