The goal of this study is to find out if engaging in creative activities can be helpful for mental health and well-being in adolescents. The study involves participating in a weekly arts program held on Tuesday evenings from 4-6 pm at the Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain (MIDB; 2025 East River Parkway, Minneapolis MN, 55414). Study sessions will include a variety of activities related to creative arts and music. Snacks will also be provided.

• Initial Visit: Before starting the program, you and your child will complete an initial visit which could be over Zoom or in-person. During this visit we will complete the informed consent process, you will both answer some questionnaires, and there will be a short clinical interview for your child.
• Biweekly Questionnaires: During the study, your child will be asked to complete some questionnaires every two weeks. These will be sent over email or text.
• Exit Interviews: Within 2 weeks after your child completes the study, we will have another visit, which could be over Zoom or in-person, where your child will complete the questionnaires and you and your child will be interviewed about the program.
• 6 month followup: A similar follow up visit will be conducted 6 months after completing the study.
• One year followup: A final followup visit will be conducted 1 year after completing the study.

For more information or to find out if you are eligible, please see the screening form.

Kathryn Cullen

Dr. Cullen (she/her) is the principal investigator for the Imagination Studio Research Study and an Associate Professor and Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. Dr. Cullen's research focuses on adolescent depression and related problems such as self-injury.

Yuko Taniguchi

"Creativity is a space inside us."

Yuko Taniguchi is a co-investigator on the Imagination Studio Study. She is a poet and novelist who explores how healing and creative processes can intersect through the collaboration of artists and healthcare professionals. Yuko is also a faculty member at the University of Minnesota Rochester. 

Wilma Koutstaal

"How does the human mind innovate and create using past and present knowledge?"

Dr. Koutstaal is a co-investigator on the Imagination Studio study and a Cognitive Psychology professor who studies, teaches, and writes about mental flexibility, memory, and creativity. She is developing different measures of creative thinking and "mental agility warm-ups."

Bonnie Klimes-Dougan

Dr. Klimes-Dougan is a co-investigator for the Imagination Studio Study and an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Klimes-Dougan's research focuses on the stress system, considering risk and protective factors for distress, depression, and despair in adolescents.  

Shulang Yue

Shulang (she/her) is currently a graduate student in the Department of Psychology, Cognitive and Brain Sciences program. Her research interests include decision-making and creativity.

Shanze (Zay) Hayee

Zay is the study coordnator for the Imagination Studio Study. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Psychology in 2024 and is currently working as a full-time staff in the RAD Lab. Zay's research interests include adolescent depression treatment, community-based intervention, and the family and community context's role in adolescent psychopathology.

 

 

 

 

Biiwaabik Hunt

Biiwaabik Hunt (they/them) is Ho-Chunk, Ojibwe, and Oglala Lakota. They are a Minnesota Inclusive Neuroscience Development Scholar. They received a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Art History from Warren Wilson College. Their research interests include culturally-specific therapies and treatments for Native Americans and centering communities in research and healing processes.