The foundation of RAP
The Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP) was developed to build resilience and promote positive mental health in teenagers. The program specifically aims to prevent teenage depression and related difficulties.
Approximately one in five teenagers will develop depression during the course of their teenage years which could severely hamper their development and future prospects.
RAP aims to increase the psychological resilience or resourcefulness of young people and draws on research of successful treatments for adolescent depression and the known psychosocial risk and protective factors at the individual, family and school level.
-
The RAP programs were created by Professor Ian Shochet, a leading psychologist in adolescent mental health and development with more than 35 years of clinical, research and teaching experience. Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Shochet has published extensively in the fields of resilience, wellbeing and depression prevention, helping shape evidence-based approaches to supporting young people.
Grounded in decades of research and practical application, the RAP programs have been shown to build resilience, strengthen wellbeing and help prevent depression in adolescents.
-
Backed by decades of research, RAP is a Commonwealth Government–endorsed, evidence-based program proven to support adolescent mental health.
Since its pilot in 1996, RAP has been rigorously evaluated, with ongoing research supported by leading bodies including the Queensland Health Promotion Council, the Commonwealth Department of Health and Human Services, NHMRC and the ARC.
Published randomised controlled trials show RAP helps prevent future depressive symptoms in adolescents and delivers significantly better outcomes than a placebo. Its impact has been recognised through publication in leading journals and psychology textbooks (see the Research section for a sample of publications). The Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP) is recognised as an evidence-based program by organisations that review and promote effective mental health interventions. Internationally, RAP has been included in the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare as a supported program, reflecting its strong research base and demonstrated effectiveness in promoting resilience and wellbeing in young people.
RAP programs continue to evolve through ongoing research, focused on improving effectiveness, exploring new delivery formats, and identifying the best timing for early intervention.
-
Since 1996, RAP has grown into a globally recognised program, supporting adolescents and communities at scale. More than 8,000 facilitators across over 3,000 schools, health services and community organisations in Australia and overseas have been trained to deliver RAP.
Internationally, RAP-A has been implemented in almost 30 countries, reaching diverse populations and education systems around the world. Global research, including international trials, has shown strong outcomes, with significant improvements in anxiety, depression and self-efficacy among adolescents.
RAP continues to evolve to meet the needs of different communities, with tailored adaptations for Indigenous Australian adolescents and autistic adolescents.
Its impact extends beyond schools, with programs adapted for adult and workplace settings, including high-risk industries such as policing, as well as specialised programs for mental health professionals and Indigenous job seekers.
Components
The Resourceful Adolescent Program consists of three components that promote the individual, family and school protective factors respectively:
A school-based program for 11 to 16 year olds that aims to improve the coping skills of teenagers
Targets family protective factors such as increasing harmony and preventing conflict
Aims at assisting teachers to promote school connectedness, a protective factor that has recently been shown to be very important in teenage mental health