Adolescent Focus Group Discussion Guide

Attachment 5: Adolescent Focus Group Discussion Guides

OMB Control No. 0920-1154

Exp. Date 3/31/2026

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	FOCUS GROUP INTRODUCTIONS (3 min.)
	Facilitator: Hi everyone, thank you all for joining us for a focus group on teen mental health! My name is [insert Deloitte Team Member Name] and I am a part of the Deloitte Team working with the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Our team is working to better understand the experiences of teens living in rural areas across the United States, with a focus on girls and nonbinary teens. We know there is a growing number of teens impacted by mental health challenges, and the heart behind this effort is to try to make a difference. Today, we’ll talk about a variety of mental health topics. These include how teens think about mental health and self-care, and how easy or hard it is to access mental health resources. Your feedback today will help CDC develop tools for teen mental health in the future! Before we get started, I would also like to introduce you to my teammate(s), [insert team member name(s)], who is here to take general notes of our conversation. Please know that nothing that you share will be attached to your name. We will not share what you say with your parents/guardians, but if you report that you are a danger to yourself or others, we will take steps to make sure you are safe. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please let us know now (pause). For your privacy, please only refer to yourself by your first name or a fake name. If there is any question you do not want to answer, you can always say “pass” or “skip.” Your safety is important to us, so if at any point you would like to step out of the session, you are welcome to do so. [Only read if virtual: If you would like to step out of today’s Zoom session, we ask that you message [INSERT TEAM MEMBER NAME] using the Zoom chat before you leave the Zoom meeting.] [Only read if in-person: If you would like to step out of today’s session at any point, quietly exit the room and one of our project team members will meet you outside.] As a reminder, you will be sent a $50 Visa gift card for your time. [Only read if virtual] If you have not already, please rename yourself on Zoom so that your profile only shows your first name or a fake name. To update your name: 1. Click “Participants” at the bottom of your screen 2. Hover over your name in the Participants list > Click the button with three dots. 3. Select “Rename” from the list 4. Enter your first name or a fake name only [Read for both session types] Again, your answers to these questions will be combined with all other participant answers, and there will be no way to tell who you are from the responses. We are recording the audio of these conversations for note taking purposes only, and the recordings will be destroyed after the project ends. Can you confirm you are okay with our team audio recording this session? This focus group will take 90 minutes to complete. Before we jump in, let’s cover a few “Rules of the Road” to guide our session. Be present: Unplug, Turn off, Tune in – limit distractions by saving phone notifications for after this session. [Only read if virtual: Cameras are optional, but strongly encouraged!] Get Real: Bring your authentic self – be personal, connected, and real. We want to hear your honest thoughts today, and truly value your opinions. More is…more!: Share as many ideas as you can think of for each question. There is no such thing as a “wrong” answer today, and we want to hear all the ideas you have – even the wild ones! Be adventurous: This is meant to be a creative, interactive session. Feel free to use the format that works best for you – respond verbally, [in-person only: use sticky notes], draw, [virtual only: type in Chat or annotate with stamps] as you respond. [Only read if virtual] If you are participating on your computer today, you’ll also have the option to annotate the screen using stamps or text during the session. As a reminder on how to annotate, you should see a green bar at the top of your screen that says “You are viewing [Insert Team Member Sharing Screen Name] screen.” Here, you should see a button that says, “View Options.” Click the ‘down’ arrow next to “View Options” and the Annotate button will appear. Click “Annotate” and this menu will pop up. Hover over the stamp button and select the “X” stamp. Practice stamping your “X” anywhere on this slide. You can drop ideas or responses into the chat anytime as well during the session! To access the Zoom chat, select the button with a speech bubble that reads “Chat” as shown here on the screen. Great, thank you for practicing that! [Read for both session types]: If you [virtual only: experience any technical issues or] have any other questions during today’s session, please let us know [virtual only: by coming off mute or sending a message in the chat to [Insert team member name] for help]. Do you have any questions before we begin? This focus group will take up to 90 minutes.
GENERAL RAPPORT BUILDING (5 min.)
Question 1 Icebreaker (Approximate time: 10 minutes)		Let’s start off with a fun icebreaker for introductions. Let’s go around and have everyone share their first name or a fake name and their favorite book, movie, song, or video game. I can start us off! I’m [Insert Team member first name], and my favorite [insert book, movie, song, or video game] is [insert response]. Alright, that was great, thank you all for sharing! Now let’s jump-in to our discussion.

IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION (~80 min.)
Question 2 (Approximate time: 10 minutes)			Feel free to take a minute to reflect before answering and remember that there’s no such thing as a wrong answer here. In a few words, what does “mental health” mean to you? Feel free to jot down [(If in-person): using the sticky notes provided OR (If virtual): using the annotation feature or the chat] or share anything that pops into your head. All ideas are welcome and there is no “right” or “wrong” answer. [Probing Questions]: What do you do to support/take care of your mental health? What is an example of how you take care of yourself that makes you proud? Thank you for sharing what that means to you! Those are all great answers. [Clarification, If Needed]: “Mental health” can mean different things to different people, and today we are talking about both positive and negative mental health. “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.”
Question 3 (Approximate time: 10 minutes)			Similarly, for this next question, take a minute to reflect before sharing your thoughts. In a few words, what does “self-care” mean to you? Again, feel free to use [stickies or annotation/chat] to organize your thoughts! Feel free to jot down or share anything that pops into your head. All ideas are welcome and list as many ideas as come to mind! [Probing Questions]: What are some activities you or your peers do to take care of yourself? How do you recharge, de-stress, or unwind? Who do you typically do these activities with? Does anyone have an example of their self-care routine they would like to share with the group?
Question 4 (Approximate time: 10 minutes)			In general, how often would you say girls and nonbinary teens in your community think or talk about mental health? Remember that there is no “right” or “wrong” answer, and we are just curious to hear each of your opinions! [Probing Questions]: If often, What are some of the topics teens talk about? Who do they talk to about mental health? Friends? Family? Teachers? Others in the community? Do you find that some of these topics are particularly pressing to girls? If not often, Why not?
Question 5 (Approximate time: 10 minutes)			What resources would you direct a friend to if they came to you and were struggling with their mental health? [Probing Questions]: Are there other resources, either online or in your community? Are there any apps, websites, or chat rooms that you use to seek advice? Are there any organizations in your area or community leaders you would be able to connect them with?
Question 6 (Approximate time: 10 minutes)			Have you or other girls or nonbinary teens in your community ever experienced challenges in getting help or support for your/their mental health? How were you/they able to overcome those challenges? [Probing Questions]: Is this still a challenge that you or others are facing? What do you think would have helped you or them in those situations? Do you feel like teens in your community have access to the resources they need (i.e., understanding the options and who to go to), particularly girl teens and nonbinary youth? [If asked for clarification on “support” or resources]: Mental Health support may include resources such as “how-to” guides, counselors or therapists, or self-care resources.
	Question 7 (Approximate time: 15 minutes)			For this next question, we are going to ask you to reflect on the prompt: Take two minutes to reflect and write down identities you hold. Identities include many pieces such as who you are in your family or community, where you’re from, what you value, and the relationships you have. How do different identities that you hold affect your mental health experience? Affects could be positive, such as the strong community you may find through those peer groups, or negative, such as unique challenges you may face by holding those identities. Remember, there's no such thing as a wrong answer here. Feel free to jot down anything that pops into your head [(If in-person): using the sticky notes provided OR (If virtual): using the annotation feature or the chat]. Share only what you feel comfortable with. We value all your thoughts and ideas. [Probing Questions]: Can you provide an example of that experience? Can you share more about that experience? Can you tell us more about what this [annotation/illustration] means? Do others here have similar or different experiences to this?
Question 8 (Approximate time: 10 minutes)			If you had a magic wand and anything was possible, what would you do to help improve the experience of girl and nonbinary teens in your community? Feel free to jot down [(If in-person): using the sticky notes provided OR (If virtual): using the annotation feature or the chat] or share anything that pops into your head. All ideas are welcome and there is no “right” or “wrong” answer. [Probing Questions]: Are there any resources you wish existed?
Question 9 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			Is there anything we have not asked you about related to these topics that you would like to share?
	Conclusion (1 min.)
	Thank you for your time today and thank you for participating in this focus group! Our session is now completed. After today’s session, we will email this list of mental health resources, including national crisis resources and tools to identify a provider if you or someone you know is looking for support. You will be given a $50 (American Express, Mastercard, or Visa) gift card for your time, which will be emailed to you in the coming days. [If the participant is also participating in brainstorming session] If you are also participating in another session type for this project, you will be contacted by our team again with additional details related to that session. We appreciate your willingness to be a part of this effort!