Evidence-based interventions addressing top teen public health epidemics: HIPTeens and COPE

Doctor’s Dianne Morrison-Beedy and Bernadette Melnyk reveal two evidence-based interventions that are addressing sexual risk and mental health issues, ultimately protecting and supporting teenagers where they need it most

Teenagers are faced with overwhelming sexual risks and mental health issues, and often the two can be intertwined. With support and education on the topics of sexual and mental health, young people are given the tools to reduce risk behaviours and enforce healthy coping methods.

HIPTeens, or Health Improvement Project for Teens, is a CDC and DHHS-recognised STI/HIV/teen pregnancy prevention programme, which provides services and evidence-based programming to diverse communities, healthcare, and educational organisations across the globe.

COPE, or Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment, is a cognitive-behavioural therapy-based programme that reduces depression and anxiety, also improving healthy behaviours.

As well as both being strictly evidence-based intervention (EBI) programmes, Hipteens and COPE:

  • Are brief, manualised and easy to deliver programmes.
  • Offer easy training for delivery by facilitators from diverse backgrounds.
  • Have been delivered in healthcare and community settings, schools and teen programmes.
  • Tested, across age ranges, genders, races and ethnicities.
  • Both are used across the U.S. and globally.

Why use HIPTeens?

Developed and tested through rigorous longitudinal scientific studies, HIPTeens was recognised by the CDC and U.S. DHHS as an exemplary evidence-based HIV/STI and teen pregnancy prevention intervention.

HIPTeens helps to educate, empower, and improve teens health through increased knowledge of risk prevention strategies, emphasis on building motivation to change behaviours, and activities designed to identify and promote risk reduction behaviours.

HIPTeens training of facilitators provides  them with the opportunity to learn and practice role-plays, activities, skill sessions using motivational interviewing techniques with manualised intervention strategies and timely feedback to ensure facilitation success. It is culturally sensitive, theoretically driven, medically accurate, engaging and interactive. HIPteens has Universal Design for Learning (UDL) enhanced supplements for participants with learning and intellectual disabilities.

The programme enhances goal setting, builds resilience, positive youth development and communication skills.

HIPTeens also produces vital results:

  • Reduced episodes of vaginal sex.
  • Reduced episodes of unprotected sex.
  • Reduced numbers of sexual partners.
  • Reduced pregnancy rates.
  • Increased sexual abstinence.

Why use COPE?

When faced with stress, depression and anxiety, everyone needs help to COPE. Approximately one in four to five children, teens, and young adults are dealing with stress, anxiety and depression, however fewer than half are getting the evidenced-based treatment they need.

COPE helps young people develop the skills necessary to stop negative thoughts and start thinking and acting in more positive ways. Based on key components of cognitive behavioural therapy, each COPE Programme leads participants through brief, easy-to-follow sessions that include education and skills-building exercises.

Despite often being unable to control events that trigger stress and anxiety, COPE can help to deal with them in healthier ways. Furthermore, children, teens and young adults learn how to:

  • Reduce negative thoughts/emotions.
  • Increase healthy behaviours.
  • Improve communication.
  • Build problem-solving skills.
  • Understand and cope with stress.
  • Set achievable goals.
  • Enhance self-esteem and resilience.
  • Feel happier, healthier, and more positive, every day.

Which COPE programme is right for you?

The COPE Programmes can be delivered by healthcare providers with reimbursement, teachers, nurses, counsellors, or social workers who have completed an on-line educational workshop. Programmes come in both online and manual versions, and can be delivered in primary care practices, schools, universities, speciality care, school-based clinics as well as mental health settings. Each session can be completed in either a brief 25 to 30 minutes, in small group format, or a 50-minute class.

The programmes are:

  • COPE Teen 7-session Manual: Designed to be delivered by healthcare providers and educational professionals to teens ages 11 to 18.
  • COPE Child 7-session Manual: For children ages 7 to 11.
  • COPE Young Adult 7-session Manual: For young adults and college students ages 18 to 24.
  • COPE Teen Online: An interactive programme that makes it easy and enjoyable for teens ages 13 to 18 to learn anywhere, anytime, at their own pace.

Results produced by COPE include:

  • Decreased anxiety.
  • Decreased depression.
  • Decreased suicidal ideations.

When children, teens and young adults learn to COPE in positive ways, their brains lay down new pathways and grow strong connections, and this goes hand in hand with relationships to and knowledge around sexual health. COPE teaches young people how to turn negative thoughts into positive ones, so that they feel better emotionally and behave in healthier ways.

 

HIPTeens training, please visit our website here or get in touch: hip4change@gmail.com +1 813 230 3335.

For more information on COPE or to place an order, visit us on www.cope2thrive.com or email us on cope.melnyk@gmail.com.

SPECIAL PRICING FOR ORDERING BOTH PROGRAMS

 

Please note: This is a commercial profile

© 2019. This work is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND.

Contributor Profile

PhD, RN, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, Chief Talent & Global Strategy Officer, Centennial Professor of Nursing
Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women Children and Youth Infectious Disease Institute Faculty
Phone: 614 514 5808

Contributor Profile

Vice President for Health Promotion
The Ohio State University College of Nursing

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