Dawn Bounds receives NIDA grant to test traumatized youth intervention program

GRIT helps adolescents and families develop resilience to adverse childhood events

Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect or family dysfunction are a widespread public health concern, affecting more than half of the U.S. population. Dawn Bounds, associate professor of nursing, has received a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to evaluate the efficacy of the Garnering Resilience in Traumatized Youth and Families program. Delivered by community health workers, GRIT teaches stress management and healthy habits, like getting enough sleep, staying active and building supportive relationships. Adverse childhood experiences “can make it difficult for people to manage their thoughts, emotions and behaviors, which can lead to early use of alcohol and drugs as a way to cope,” Bounds said. “The goal of this study is to demonstrate that GRIT is an effective, easy-to-access prevention program. If successful, it could be scaled up to help more young people impacted by adversity, bridging the gap between research and real-world practice.”