New Tool Helps Teens Build Personal ‘Mood Plans’
Research By: Landon Krantz, MD
Post Date: November 14, 2025 | Publish Date: Nov. 6, 2025
Pilot study suggests tool developed at Cincinnati Children’s is easy to use during primary care visits
A team of pediatricians, psychologists, and psychiatrists at Cincinnati Children’s has created the Mood Action Plan (MAP)—a new tool pediatricians can use in clinic to help adolescents recognize and self-manage depression and anxiety symptoms through personalized “mood plans.”
Details about the new, evidence-based tool were published online Nov. 6, 2025, in Academic Pediatrics.
“In light of the ongoing youth mental health crisis, general pediatricians are being called on more and more to address mental health concerns in primary care. It is important to equip them with acceptable, evidence-based, feasible tools to support them and their patients,” says Landon Krantz, MD, MHS, lead author of the study.
The mood plans are color-coded for good days, bad days, and those in-between. The tool is free, easy to use, and requires no special training, making it practical for busy primary care visits.
In the pilot study, adolescents, parents, and primary care pediatricians rated the MAP as highly acceptable, appropriate for primary care, and feasible/easy to use, with scores exceeding benchmarks from common mental health apps.
Notably, 94% of pediatricians felt the “pediatricians’ office is an appropriate place to have the MAP.” Meanwhile, 72% of adolescents agreed that, “I would like to use this tool,” and 93% of caregivers reported, “I would welcome the use of this tool for my adolescent child.”
Looking forward, the team plans to adapt the MAP tool into an electronic format and evaluate its effects on symptom awareness, symptom improvement, and help-seeking behavior.
About the study
In addition to Krantz, Cincinnati Children’s co-authors included Jennifer Hardie, MD, Alyssa Banister, and Rachel Herbst, PhD. Funding sources for this project included the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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| Original title: | A Novel Primary Care Tool to Promote Mental Health Management in Adolescents |
| Published in: | Academic Pediatrics |
| Publish date: | Nov. 6, 2025 |
Research By
My research interests center around adolescent mental health and how to support adolescents as they navigate those particularly challenging teenage years.
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The Research Horizons blog features news and insights about the latest discoveries and innovations developed by the scientists of Cincinnati Children's. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Email researchnews@cchmc.org with questions or ideas.
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