Differences in School Efforts to Provide Assessments for Mental Health Disorders by School Level: A National Analysis

Abstract

The degree to which diagnostic assessments were available to students under the official responsibilities of a licensed mental health professional by school level was addressed in this study using data from the National School Survey on Crime and Safety for the 2015-2016. For the 2017-2018 school year, the extent to which schools provided diagnostic mental health assessments to evaluate students for mental health disorders by school level was also examined. Nearly 75% of elementary schools did not provide diagnostic assessments at school by school-funded mental health professionals compared to 60% of elementary schools that did not provide diagnostic assessments outside of school by a school-funded mental health professional. Implications for policy and practice were discussed, as well as recommendations for further study.