Support for students' health and resilience
Supporting Student Health and Resiience
A school-based program using art, group projects, and social-emotional skills to help adolescents whose family members have been incarcerated stay connected, do better in school, and feel healthier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California State University Northridge NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Northridge, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11163307 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If someone in your family has been jailed, this program brings activities like creative arts, writing, and community projects into school to build emotional skills and meaningful connections with peers and caring adults. The program (Pain of the Prison System, POPS) is offered in some schools while other similar schools continue as usual so researchers can compare outcomes over time. Students will be followed for several years and information will be collected on behavior, substance use, school attendance, and emotional wellbeing. The work is a four-year, school-based effort focused on adolescents in communities with higher rates of family incarceration.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents whose parent, sibling, or close relative has been incarcerated and who attend one of the participating schools, especially in low-income communities.
Not a fit: Youth who have not experienced household incarceration or who do not attend participating schools are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower substance use and behavioral problems and improve mental health and school engagement for youth affected by household incarceration.
How similar studies have performed: Other school-based social-emotional and arts programs have shown promise for improving behavior and mental health, though results vary and this program is tailored to youth with family incarceration.
Where this research is happening
Northridge, United States
- California State University Northridge — Northridge, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Forster, Myriam — California State University Northridge
- Study coordinator: Forster, Myriam
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 below.