Transcript Child & Family Teen Run Group Therapy Program

The Teen Run Group Therapy
A creative “health based” approach to
treating adolescent depression/anxiety
and
low self esteem
Dan McGann, Social Worker
Child & Family Services
The Credit Valley Hospital
MY RUNNING FRIEND (Unique bonding)
“We talk about everything under the sun . . . and I don't even
know her last name”
By Michele Bender – Runner’s World Magazine, Aug 2007
“What is said on the road, stays on the road.”
"When you run sometimes hundreds or
thousands of miles together, you trust
each other, bare your souls to each
other, and help each other heal."
Dr."Ozzie" Gontang, Ph.D.,
Numerous studies have shown that exercise
stimulates the neurotransmitters serotonin,
dopamine, epinephrine, and betaendorphin, all of which elevate mood and
reduce depression and anxiety.
Run Dan Run!!
 My own depression
 Started to run
 Training for 10 years
 Completing my first Marathon
 - May 2006
 Created a Program
Adolescence & Depression
 Major Public Health Issue
 10-20% Depressive Disorder
 25-50% Associated Anxiety Disorder
 20% Associated Substance Use Disorder
 70% of depressed adolescents will have a 2nd episode
within 5 years
 10-20% - ultimate diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
 80% of Suicidal Adolescents suffer with depression
 Suicide is the 2rd leading cause of death in Adolescents
 Small minority of Adolescents receive treatment
 Minority complete treatment
 Traditional treatments such as medication and
psychotherapy have limited efficacy.
Psychological Treatments
 Modest Benefit:
I.P.T.
C.B.T.
Biological
 TADS combination of Fluoxetine & therapy
 Handful of drug trials demonstrating effectiveness
 Many drug trials showing no benefit
 High drop out from medication
Compliance Issues
 Side effects
 Recent concerns regarding increase in suicidal
ideation
Conventional Psychotherapy
 Requires “Face to face” communication of thoughts
and feelings
 Focus on painful and emotional issues
 Office based sessions reinforce the “sick-role”
The Running Group
 Group support
 Out of the “office”
 Mastering a skill
 Integration of mind & Body
 Indirect learning (less threatening)
 Control & Predictability
 Structure & Routine
 Audio, visual, kinesthetic learning
 Action vs. Passivity
 Mastery vs. Victimization
 Changes the internal narrative
 Endorphin release
 “Runner’s High”
Proposal
 Adolescent group
14 – 19 years
 Depression/Anxiety
 Pre-test for Baseline
 Teach them to run 3X/wk/12 wks
 Community Race 5K/10K
 Post-test for comparison
 All teens are medically cleared by their family Doc and
waiver signed by parents
THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT!
Our Sponsors
Personal donations from: Dr. David Rosen
Dr. Marino Battigelli
Tina Triano
Stan and Jessie Solarski
Dan McGann
*Youth Branch – CVH Volunteer Services
Volunteer Coaches
Impact on coaching staff is amazing –
the power of “giving back”
Program Format
A gradual skill/endurance building
1:1 ----------------------- 10:1
30 minutes
12 Weeks
Frequency
 Tuesday evenings from 6:30 - 7:45
 Guest speaker and short run
 Saturday at 8:30 - 9:30 am ~ longer runs
 Each teen was also asked to run one more time
through the week independently and record on
their log sheet.
Our Speakers
 Jeff Stapleton, Running Coach
 Dr. Ian MacIntyre – sports physician
 Sandy Beckett, Physiotherapist
 Heidi Nixdorf & Sandra Gabriel ~ Dieticians
 Dan McGann, Psychology of Running
 Detective Sean Sullivan (Capt Peel Police Run
team)
 John Knox – core training
 Rick Ball - Paralympics -Team Canada
 Tom Lettner, Senior Runner/Ironman
Group Characteristics
 Age range: 14 to 19 years
 Gender: 22 males – 21 females – 11 are parents
 Diagnosis: 2/3rds anxiety ~ 1/3rd depression
 43 participants in total
Teen Run Log
 Scale mood pre run?/10
 Scale mood post run ?/10
 Note conditions, distance and time
 Space also provided for comments
What they Learn
 How to take a goal, break it down, and achieve through small steps.
 Impact of mood on performance
 Importance of structure & routine
 Being supportive of others - being supported by others (looping)
 Influence of diet on energy
 Increased self awareness through use of your running log book
 Learning skills in developing “mental toughness” “the
ability to keep going and stay positive and focused when
faced with challenges” (long runs, hills)
 Learn from their mistakes (lessons/opportunities for new
learning) - not to over-react
 Learn form others - from their mistakes
 Learn to run softy and silently (no drama)
 Learn how to talk and breathe as they run
 Developing positive cognitive skills (positive thinking,
focus, etc)
“This is my hill”
•How to look at challenges and obstacles (hills) as good teachers and skill
builders
 Learn to pace themselves - when to hold back and
when to push in order to complete a run well and in
a good time.
 That action (running) in the face of adversity is
much better than standing still or retreating
 Run towards your fears not away from them.
 How to celebrate their achievements and meet
their goals! (end run cheer/grad party with
personalized certificates)
Teen Comments
 “I can’t believe I ran that far!”
 “Running for me is better than making out with boys I
don’t know or cutting myself.”
 “Headache, legs hurt ~ never felt better!”
 “I liked running in the rain today.”
 “The run helped me to feel relaxed and de stressed ”
Parent Comments
 “My son seems more relaxed after each run ~
very satisfied with what he’s accomplished.”
 “I found that her confidence level increased as
the time went on. I think that it has made
such a difference to her to actually see tangible
results.”
 “His mood and anxiety levels seem improved.”
 “She said that she could actually feel her
spirits lift after each run.”
New Research
 MSW Thesis “Evaluation of Running Group Therapy with Youth”
~ qualitative
 Family Run Program; “The value of running to improve the
quality of the parent- teen relationship” – pre and post scale
 Continued pre and post test using the RCMAS
 Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale
 Collaborative Research with University of Toronto Department of
Psychiatry
Pre and post run log recording
Lesleigh's Story
Lesleigh completes her 1st Half
Marathon