School Mental Health Research Articles

School climate and depressive symptoms of disciplinary alternative school students: Resilience as a mediator

We examined the relationships among school climate, resilience, and depressive symptoms of 153 students at disciplinary alternative schools in China, focusing on the mediating effect of resilience and its two components of individual power and supportive power in the association between school climate and students' depressive symptoms. Participants completed the Perceived School Climate Inventory-Middle School, the Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results indicated that the students' perception of school climate and their depressive symptoms were significantly and negatively correlated, and resilience and depressive symptoms were also significantly and negatively correlated. In addition, resilience significantly mediated the effect of school climate on the students' depressive symptoms. Finally, the effect of individual power in mediation of the relationship between school climate and depressive symptoms was greater than that of supportive power. The findings provide implications for school policy makers and mental health professionals by highlighting the need for promoting both a positive school climate and students' resilience and its component of individual power.

The Nexus of Family, School, and Society in Adolescent Mental Health

Despite the critical nature of the adolescent period in human growth, mental health among teenagers in China has not received sufficient attention in academic research. This study investigates how the family, school, and community environments can interact to influence the mental health and wellbeing of Chinese teenagers. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative and quantitative methods, the study gathers both opinion and quantifiable data on how family, school, and societal interventions can work together to support and shape adolescents’ mental stability and wellbeing. Data is collected through surveys and focus groups with parents, instructors, and community leaders. The study reveals that emotional and social problems are prevalent among Chinese teenagers and have various effects on their mental health. The findings suggest that kid-friendly interventions to support teenagers with mental health problems should be developed and distributed through family, school, and community-based mental health services. Schools, in particular, offer a unique setting for the promotion of mental health in teenagers by reducing risk factors and boosting protective elements. Educating families and communities about the warning signs of adolescent mental health problems and how to access local resources when they notice these signs in a loved one is also crucial.

Satisfaction with School Life and Mental Health of University Students in Distance Learning Course

Satisfaction with School Life and Mental Health of University Students in Distance Learning Course

A Study on the Current Situation of School Teachers' Occupational Stress and Mental Health

A Study on the Current Situation of School Teachers' Occupational Stress and Mental Health

Effects of racial and ethnic stereotypes on school experience of racial minorities

As schools in the United States are becoming more diverse, there is an increasing awareness of student’s mental health. Stereotypes and biases are big factors that influence school life for minority student groups. While some biases might seem harmless, they may increase the risk for students to experience anxiety, stress, or depression. With regard to school experience and mental health, much research focused on bullying, verbal violence, teacher expectations, and peer expectations towards racial and ethnic minorities. This review examines different aspects of interpersonal interactions for racial minorities to understand the effects of stereotypes in the learning environment. Teachers and student peers are found to hold stereotypical beliefs intentionally and unintentionally, which imposes outside stress on the students, potentially leading to mental health problems and shaping students’ lives. The negative effects of racial and ethnic stereotypes on minorities put forth a need for stronger awareness to prevent prejudiced judgments. Schools and teachers should pay close attention to their behaviors and how they affect minority students, as well as regulate verbal and physical victimizations regarding race and ethnicity.

Child Psychiatric Services in the Private Sector: Some Insights

This paper looks at child psychiatric services in the private sector and all that can be done with child psychiatric services in the private sector. The need for public-private partnerships, the role of child psychiatrists in private practice providing integrated services, and the need for school mental health services by private psychiatrists is emphasized. The paper ends by emphasizing the need to focus on adolescent mental health and eradicating the stigma that surrounds child and adolescent mental health.

Universal Mental Health Screening: Steps for School Counselors Through Multidisciplinary Teaming

School counselors collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to implement universal mental health screening (UMHS) in schools and this work is especially pertinent in light of the U.S. K–12 mental health crisis. Because the school counseling UMHS literature is still emerging, expanding this literature is necessary, particularly to meet students’ mental health concerns. The present study examined the qualitative experiences of school counselors and other multidisciplinary UMHS team members implementing screening. We coded data through a phenomenological lens and used deductive coding from the National Center for School Mental Health’s (2018) eight steps to UMHS. We discuss not only the results but applications and implications, geared toward school counselors at the building and district level to assist with their practice.

Individual and organizational factors as predictors of early evidence-based practice adoption in Michigan high schools: Baseline data from an implementation trial.

Adolescents increasingly access mental health services in schools. School mental health professionals (SPs; school counselors, social workers, etc.) can offer evidence-based mental health practices (EBPs) in schools, which may address access gaps and improve clinical outcomes. Although some studies have assessed factors associated with EBP adoption in schools, additional research focusing on SP- and school-level factors is warranted to support EBP implementation as SPs' mental health delivery grows. Baseline data were collected from SPs at Michigan high schools participating in a statewide trial to implement SP-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to students. Models examined factors associated with attitudes about EBPs, implementation climate, and implementation leadership, and their associations with CBT knowledge, training attendance, and pre-training CBT delivery. One hundred ninety-eight SPs at 107 schools (87%) completed a baseline survey. The mean Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) total score was 2.9, and school-aggregated mean scores of the Implementation Climate Scale (ICS) and Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) were 1.83 and 1.77, respectively, all on a scale ranging from 0 (low) to 4 (high). ICS and ILS scores were lower than typically reported in clinical settings, while EBPAS scores were higher. School characteristics were not significantly associated with EBPAS, ICS, or ILS scores, but scores did differ by SP role. Higher EBPAS scores were associated with more CBT knowledge (average marginal effect for 1 SD change [AME] = 0.15 points) and a higher probability of training completion (AME = 8 percentage points). Higher ICS scores were associated with a higher probability of pre-training CBT delivery (AME = 6 percentage points), and higher ILS scores were associated with higher probability of training completion (AME = 10 percentage points). Our findings suggest that SPs' attitudes toward EBPs and organizational support were positively associated with early signs of implementation success. As schools increasingly fill the adolescent mental healthcare access gap, efforts to strengthen both provider attitudes toward EBP and strategic organizational factors supporting EBP delivery will be key to encouraging EBP uptake in schools. Schools are an important setting in which adolescents receive mental healthcare. We need to better understand how to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) in this setting to improve student mental health. This study examined the attitudes and perceptions of school professionals (SPs) as key contributors to the implementation of a particular EBP, the delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in schools. The study found that implementation climate and leadership scores in participating schools were lower than scores typically reported in clinical settings, while scores for SP attitudes about EBP adoption were higher than typical scores in clinical settings. Results further suggest that SPs with more positive attitudes toward EBPs are more knowledgeable of CBT and more likely to complete a 1-day CBT training. We also found that higher implementation climate scores were associated with SPs reporting pre-training CBT delivery (although this association was not statistically significant), and more implementation leadership was associated with SPs completing the CBT training. These findings suggest that SP attitudes toward EBPs and organizational support in schools are positively associated with early signs of implementation success. Early, low-intensity efforts to (1) improve SP attitudes about mental health EBPs, and (2) increase schools' support for implementation may scaffold more intensive implementation efforts in schools down the road.

Effects of community youth teams facilitating participatory adolescent groups, youth leadership activities and livelihood promotion to improve school attendance, dietary diversity and mental health among adolescent girls in rural eastern India (JIAH trial): A cluster-randomised controlled trial

ObjectivesTo evaluate whether and how community youth teams facilitating participatory adolescent groups, youth leadership and livelihood promotion improved school attendance, dietary diversity, and mental health among adolescent girls in rural India. DesignA parallel group, two-arm, superiority, cluster-randomised controlled trial with an embedded process evaluation. Setting, intervention and participants38 clusters (19 intervention, 19 control) in West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, India. The intervention included participatory adolescent groups and youth leadership for boys and girls aged 10–19 (intervention clusters only), and family-based livelihood promotion (intervention and control clusters) between June 2017 and March 2020. We surveyed 3324 adolescent girls aged 10–19 in 38 clusters at baseline, and 1478 in 29 clusters at endline. Four intervention and five control clusters were lost to follow up when the trial was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adolescent boys were included in the process evaluation only. Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary: school attendance, dietary diversity, and mental health; 12 secondary outcomes related to education, empowerment, experiences of violence, and sexual and reproductive health. ResultsIn intervention vs control clusters, mean dietary diversity score was 4·0 (SD 1·5) vs 3·6 (SD 1·2) (adjDiff 0·34; 95%CI -0·23, 0·93, p = 0·242); mean Brief Problem Monitor-Youth (mental health) score was 12·5 (SD 6·0) vs 11·9 (SD 5·9) (adjDiff 0·02, 95%CI -0·06, 0·13, p = 0·610); and school enrolment rates were 70% vs 63% (adjOR 1·39, 95%CI 0·89, 2·16, p = 0·142). Uptake of school-based entitlements was higher in intervention clusters (adjOR 2·01; 95%CI 1·11, 3·64, p = 0·020). Qualitative data showed that the community youth team had helped adolescents and their parents navigate school bureaucracy, facilitated re-enrolments, and supported access to entitlements. Overall intervention delivery was feasible, but positive impacts were likely undermined by household poverty. ConclusionsParticipatory adolescent groups, leadership training and livelihood promotion delivered by a community youth team did not improve adolescent girls’ mental health, dietary diversity, or school attendance in rural India, but may have increased uptake of education-related entitlements. Trial registrationISRCTN17206016

Educator-Informed Development of a Mental Health Literacy Course for School Staff: Classroom Well-Being Information and Strategies for Educators (Classroom WISE).

Educators play a critical role in promoting mental health and well-being with their students. Educators also recognize that they lack knowledge and relevant learning opportunities that would allow them to feel competent in supporting student mental health. As such, educators require resources and training to allow them to develop skills in this area. The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network partnered with the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine to develop Classroom Well-Being and Information for Educators (WISE), a free, three-part mental health literacy training package for educators and school staff that includes an online course, video library, and resource collection. The Classroom WISE curriculum focuses on promoting positive mental health in the classroom, as well as strategies for recognizing and responding to students experiencing mental health related distress. This paper describes the curriculum development process, including results of focus groups and key informant interviews with educators and school mental health experts. Adoption of Classroom WISE can help educators support student mental health and assist in ameliorating the youth mental health crisis.

A roadmap to equitable school mental health screening

Youth in the United States are experiencing mental health concerns at alarming rates. Considering the nation's legacy of racism and growing recognition of the impact of social determinants of health on educational and mental health inequities, it is imperative to re-envision how we approach mental health screening in schools to center equity. A focus on mental health screening for the sole purpose of identifying individual at-risk students ignores key contextual considerations, is ineffective in addressing health and educational inequities, and has the potential to perpetuate oppressive practices in schools. Equity-focused mental health screening requires a shift from individual- and deficit-focused approaches to systems- and holistic-focused approaches that (a) identify strengths and stressors among individuals, groups, and communities; (b) dismantle structural forms of oppression; and (c) promote positive mental health outcomes for minoritized youth. Integrating recommendations from the educational equity literature and critical school mental health frameworks, this paper identifies core considerations for equitable school mental health screening and provides guiding principles for each phase of the screening process, from screening readiness to execution to follow up. To implement these recommendations and transform school-based mental health care, schools should (a) incorporate multiple perspectives; (b) prioritize student, family, and community voices; and (c) build collaborative partnerships to co-construct a vision for equitable school mental health.

Disruption to Education During COVID-19: School Nonacademic Factors Are Associated with Children's Mental Health.

Few studies have examined aspects of the school environment, beyond modality, as contributors to child and youth mental health during the coronavirus pandemic. We investigated associations between nonacademic school experiences and children's mental health. Parents of children ages 6 to 18 years completed online surveys about school experiences (November 2020) and mental health (February/March 2021). Parent-reported and child-reported school experiences (i.e., nonacademic factors) included school importance, adapting to public health measures, and school connectedness. Children's mental health symptoms of depression, anxiety, inattention, and hyperactivity were collected using standardized parent-reported measures. Children's (N = 1052) self-reported and parent-reported nonacademic factors were associated with mental health outcomes, after adjusting for demographics and previous mental health. Lower importance, worse adapting to school changes, and less school connectedness were associated with greater depressive symptoms ( B = -4.68, CI [-6.04, -3.67] to - 8.73 CI [-11.47, 5.99]). Lower importance and worse adapting were associated with greater anxiety symptoms ( B = - 0.83 , CI [-1.62, -0.04] to -1.04 CI [-1.60, -0.48]). Lower importance was associated with greater inattention (B = -4.75, CI [-6.60, -2.90] to -6.37, CI [-11.08, -7.50]). Lower importance and worse adapting were associated with greater hyperactivity (B = -1.86, CI [-2.96, -0.77] to -4.71, CI [-5.95, -3.01]). Schools offer learning opportunities that extend beyond curriculum content and are a primary environment where children and youth develop connections with others. These aspects of school, beyond academics, should be recognized as key correlates of child and youth mental health.

School adaptation and adolescent immigrant mental health: Mediation of positive academic emotions and conduct problems.

Immigrant adolescents must adapt their physical and mental attitudes to attain healthy development due to dramatic changes in their living and learning environments after relocation. From the perspective of positive psychology, this study explored the specific influence of school adaptation on mental health among immigrant adolescents, mainly focusing on the mediating effects of positive academic emotions and conduct problems. We selected primary and secondary school students from five relocated resettlement schools in Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, which has the largest population of relocated people in Guizhou Province, China. Using cluster sampling, 550 relocated students in Grades 5-12 from the five schools were recruited to complete a battery of questionnaires, including the Immigrant Adolescents' School Adaptation Scale, the General Health Scale, and the Positive Academic Emotions Questionnaire, and the Adolescents' Behavioral Tendency Questionnaire. In addition, this study used the bias-corrected bootstrap method to explore the chain-mediating effect of positive academic emotions and conduct problems between school adaptation and mental health. The results showed that immigrant adolescents had significant gender differences only in conduct problems. However, significant learning stage differences existed in school adaptation, mental health, positive academic emotions, and conduct problems. School adaptation, positive academic emotions, and mental health were significantly positively correlated. In contrast, conduct problems were significantly negatively correlated with mental health. School adaptation influenced mental health through the mediation effects of positive academic emotions and conduct problems. These effects contained three paths: the separate mediation effects of positive academic emotions and conduct problems and the chain mediation effect of positive academic emotions and conduct problems.

Streamlined pediatric anxiety program for school mental health services

There needs to be serious transformation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) into real-world solutions; otherwise, EBIs will never achieve the intended public health impact. In a randomized trial, we reported effects of a redesigned anxiety program. Herein, we described the redesign process that led to the program. Survey data revealed provider preferences for school mental health anxiety services. Focus groups and prototype feedback sessions revealed service barriers to uptake, implementation, and sustainability along with corresponding enabling strategies. Prototype feedback sessions also focused on refinement and fine-tuning of the redesign. In the end, traditional EBI strategies were transformed and packaged into six lessons, lasting 20–30 minutes each, and amenable to delivery in small-group format. The redesign achieved the intended purpose of retaining elements from cognitive and behavior therapy and social skills training for the target population of the intervention (e.g., 3rd to 5th graders with heterogeneous anxiety problems - identified and referred). The streamlined EBI is accessible from PBS LearningMedia™ - a service that hosts public, research-based, and school-ready materials.

Book reviews [International Journal of Emotional Education, 14(2)

The theme of the Special Issue is climate change, so this book is particularly relevant to educators. Alison Woolf, author of Better Mental Health in Schools: Four Key Principles for Practice in Challenging Times, takes account of the global difficulties that face us all and shows evidence-based ways in which educators can help children and young people to navigate their way through this difficult time. She shows awareness of the universal social and emotional pressures that all young people in the present century face and explains how these can increase the psychological and behavioural difficulties of individual pupils. As an experienced practitioner, she is aware of the complexity of the task that schools are required to do in fostering positive mental health in their students. However, she indicates the value of a whole-school approach and provides many illustrations of how teachers can enhance their students’ emotional health and well-being while, at the same time, taking care of their own mental health.

Suicidal Behaviors in Early Adolescence: The Interaction Between School Connectedness and Mental Health.

Previous research has identified mental health symptoms such as depression and aggression as contributing factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescence. However, much of this work has focused on older adolescents (ages > 14) resulting in a dearth of knowledge about early adolescents under 12 years. Moreover, much less is known about school connectedness as a protective factor in the relationship between mental health symptoms and suicidal behaviors. This study examined the interaction effect between school connectedness and mental health symptoms on suicidal behaviors among early adolescents aged 9-12 years. Data were drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and yielded an analytic sample (n = 2826) that was majority male (52%), Black (53%), and with an average age of 9.3 years. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Among participants, 2% experienced suicidal ideation, and 2% experienced suicide attempts. Black adolescents were more than five times more likely to experience a suicide attempt compared to their White peers (AOR = 5.37; 95% CI = 1.71-16.95; p = .004). There was a significant interaction effect between withdrawn depressed symptoms and school connectedness (AOR = .95; 95% CI = .91-98; p = .006), and between aggressive behavior and school connectedness (AOR = 1.02; 95% CI = 1.01-1.03; p = .001) on suicide attempts. School connectedness did not moderate the relationship between mental health symptoms and suicidal ideation. The findings have important practical implications, which are discussed.

The Need for Performance Standards in Preschools: Stealing Shamelessly from Comprehensive School Mental Health Literature

Young children are at-risk for developing significant mental health difficulties just as their older, school-aged peers. Preschool settings have increasingly attempted to proactively address early childhood socioemotional needs by expanding their prevention and intervention activities. A number of emerging best practices in promoting early childhood mental health have been proposed. However, there are no comprehensive performance standards for preschool mental health and limited guidance on how preschools can align themselves with best practices. This expansion in service scope parallels the development of Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems in K-12 schools. Resources and tools developed for K-12 educational settings may serve as a useful example for preschool mental health systems interested in quality comprehensive mental health care. This conceptual article will describe the prevalence of mental health difficulties in young children, review the current guidance on supporting mental health in young children, and provide support for adapting widely used K-12 school mental health performance standards to establish comprehensive standards for organizing and implementing high quality care systems in preschool settings.

Analysis of the Practice of Positive Psychology in China's Middle School Education

Mental health education plays a very important role in the future development of secondary school students. Integrating the concept of positive psychology in secondary school students' mental health education helps secondary school students learn to use their own positive psychological factors to stimulate and cultivate their own potential, mobilize the initiative of learning, and promote the progress of learning and the improvement of comprehensive literacy. Starting from the current situation of secondary school mental health education, we analyze the guiding significance of the positive psychology concept to secondary school mental health education and propose the integration path in light of the current practical problems.

Understanding mental health in schools from the perspective of young people

ABSTRACT Increasing rates of mental health difficulties for young people in the UK are often described, though seldom from young people’s perspective or viewpoint. The Schools NorthEast Healthy MindED Commission works towards supporting schools to understand and mitigate the factors affecting young people’s mental health, and through doing so enable better resilience. This research extends from the work of the commission. Utilising the World Health Organisation mental health definition, we supported schools to have conversations with young people about the factors that affect their mental health. Staff from regional schools were trained and supported to carry out focus group discussions and complete initial data analysis. Meta-analyses of findings were carried out to identify illuminative themes. Findings were fed back to establish face validity and so allow further action planning – not reported here. Themes are considered against established theory and the wider literature. In addition to illustrating the usefulness of listening to young people in order to understand mental health in school contexts, crosscutting themes of relationships, agency, and rest and recovery were concluded as key to enabling mental health within school contexts.

Evaluating a Unified Screener for Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Problems

Internalizing and externalizing problems are common targets for school mental health screening. Prior research supports the interpretation of scores from the Youth Internalizing Problems Screener (YIPS) and the Youth Externalizing Problems Screener (YEPS), which were developed separately yet intended as companion measures. We extended previous work by evaluating the psychometric defensibility of integrated measurement models that combined items from the YIPS and YEPS into a unified screener (YIEPS). Specifically, we evaluated (a) a unidimensional model, (b) a correlated-factors model with two latent variables representing internalizing and externalizing problems, and (c) a bifactor model with two specific factors—internalizing and externalizing—and a general factor representing global mental health problems. We then tested the reliabilities of the several factors from these models and the informational value added of the competing models. Results indicated the bifactor YIEPS model had the best data-model fit for representing the unified screener. However, exploratory analyses suggested an alternative bifactor model with three specific factors—parsing attention problems from externalizing and internalizing content—might be an even better fit for the data. Reliability findings suggested the general factor—representing global mental health problems—was the most psychometrically defensible. Future directions for research and practice are discussed.