Annual meeting of Society for Prevention Research to be held in Washington, DC

Prevention and the Tucson Tragedy:

The mass shooting in Tucson that left six people dead and many more injured, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, brought significant attention to availability, accessibility and quality of treatment services for serious mental, emotional and behavioral disorders (MEBs) and substance abuse. But what about prevention of MEBs? That question will be answered by a panel of experts, including Ron Prinz, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, Parenting & Family Research Center; Beth Walkup, First Lady of Tucson; Pamela Hyde, JD, Administrator of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); Nicholas Ialongo, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Dennis Embry, Ph.D., CEO/President, PAXIS Institute in Tucson.

This session will be held June 2, 2011, at 1:15-2:45 PM in Capitol A, Hyatt Regency, Washington, DC.

NCAA, College Athletes and Drinking:

Student-athletes are considered to be at greater risk for abusing alcohol, smokeless tobacco, and performance enhancing drugs as compared to their non-athlete peers. This session will look at current trends in student athlete's drug use, based on data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); challenges and solutions for prevention; and promising strategies. A panel of experts will look at the limited knowledge about preventing drug use among student athletes and the challenges in working with Athletic Departments. Experts will include: David Wyrick, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Robert Turrisi, Ph.D., Penn State University; Mary Wilfert, Associate Director for Health and Safety, NCAA; and Melodie Fearnow-Kenney, Ph.D., Prevention Strategies.

This session will be held June 1, 2011, 1:15-2:45 PM, Columbia C, Hyatt Regency

Depression Among High School Students:

Adolescent depression is a highly common condition, which has led to an interest in developing programs aimed at preventing and treating depression in youth, particularly programs that can be delivered in school settings. This session will present data on predicting and preventing adolescent depression, as well as outcomes of specific prevention programs. The experts presenting this session include: Jami Young, Ph.D., Rutgers University; Jane Gillham, Ph.D., Swarthmore College; Paul Rhode, Ph.D., Oregon Research Institute; and Patrick Possel, Ph.D., University of Louisville.

This session will be held June 2, 2011, 1:15-2:45 PM, Regency B, Hyatt Regency.

Can Yoga Help Youth with Drug Use and Mental Health:

Presentations on this topic will look at the emerging research on the use of yoga-based techniques in preventive interventions for youth in school settings. Yoga is an ancient Eastern practice involving focus on breath and movement with the goal of enhancing awareness, attention, and the ability to be present in the moment (e.g., mindfulness). Researchers are looking at using yoga for reducing drug use among African Americans, reducing unmanaged stress, and helping with depression. The experts who will present yoga related results will include: Tamar Mendelson, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health; J Douglas Coatsworth, Ph.D., Penn State University; S. Miller, Ph.D., RTI; S. S. Khalsa, Ph.D., Harvard University; and Laura Feagans Gould, Ph.D., AED.

This session will be held June 2, 2011, 1:15-2:45, Capitol B, Hyatt Regency.