Purpose
depressive, Depression
Less than half of United States adolescents experiencing a major depressive episode received treatment in 2020.The University of Michigan’s (UM) Peer-2-Peer (P2P) Depression Awareness Program was 1 such school-based initiative that aimed to decrease mental illness and promote well-being.Similar to P2P, Aevidum, meaning “I’ve got your back,” is a student-led mental health initiative started in 2010 following a peer suicide in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (PA).The study purpose was to understand the effect of the Aevidum curriculum and club on mental health knowledge, help-seeking intentions, and school culture. The study used a mixed-methods design including pre-post surveys, a randomized clinical trial design, and qualitative interviews involving ten Pennsylvania public high schools.