Wise Girls Workshop Study: Preventing Mental Health Problems in Middle School Girls

CURRENT PROJECT

OVERVIEW

The RAISE Family Lab has partnered with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to evaluate the Wise Girls Workshop, a free, therapist-led prevention program for middle school girls (ages 11–14). Designed to support mental health and well-being during the critical time of peri-puberty, the six-session group program focuses on building coping skills, resilience, and confidence. This study will assess the program’s feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction, while also exploring early signs of improvement in youth well-being. By engaging both girls and their caregivers, the project aims to strengthen family support systems and reduce the risk of future mental health problems.

MIAMI FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

Project Goals

EVALUATE

Assess the acceptability, feasibility, and satisfaction of the Wise Girls Workshop among youth, caregivers, and providers.

MEASURE

Explore whether participation leads to improvements in well-being, coping, and self-efficacy.

Turning Community Insight Into Measurable Impact

Many mental health disorders emerge in adolescence (Solmi et al., 2022), and prevention programs have the potential to reduce the incidence of these disorders (Fusar-Poli et al., 2022). Wise Girls is a free, school-age prevention program designed to empower girls and strengthen mental health.
- Solmi, M., Radua, J., Olivola, M., Croce, E., Soardo, L., Salazar de Pablo, G., Il Shin, J., Kirkbride, J. B., Jones, P., Kim, J. H., Kim, J. Y., Carvalho, A. F., Seeman, M. V., Correll, C. U., & Fusar-Poli, P. (2022). Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: Large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies. Molecular Psychiatry, 27, 281–295. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7
- Fusar‐Poli, P., Correll, C. U., Arango, C., Berk, M., Patel, V., & Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2021). Preventive psychiatry: A blueprint for improving the mental health of young people. World Psychiatry, 20(2), 200–221. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20869