RAP Club: Improving Mental Health and School Performance in Urban Eighth Graders

A majority of inner-city young people in the U.S. experience chronic stress and trauma, increasing their risk for social, emotional, and academic problems. Adapted from a treatment for adolescents exposed to stress and trauma, RAP Club is a school-based prevention program for urban eighth graders. It is co-facilitated by young adult community members to promote student engagement. Our prior NIMH-funded pilot research showed promising effects of RAP Club--delivered by a mental health professional and young adult community member--on student social and academic outcomes. Building on that work, the proposed Goal 3 efficacy trial will test whether RAP Club improves education outcomes of urban eighth graders significantly more than a health education control group. The intervention and control curricula will be delivered by school personnel with young adult community member co-facilitators.