One-third Of U.s. Public Schools Mandate Mental Health Checks For Students

Nearly one-third of nan nation's K-12 U.S. nationalist schools instruction intelligence wellness screening for students, pinch astir offering in-person curen aliases referral to a organization intelligence wellness master if a student is identified arsenic having slump aliases anxiety, according to a caller study.

About 40% of principals surveyed said it was very difficult aliases somewhat difficult to guarantee that students person due care, while 38% said it was easy aliases very easy to find capable attraction for students. The findings are published successful nan diary JAMA Network Open.

Our results propose that location are aggregate barriers to intelligence wellness screening successful schools, including a deficiency of resources and knowledge of screening mechanics, arsenic good arsenic concerns astir accrued workload of identifying students."

Jonathan Cantor, study's lead writer and a argumentation interrogator astatine RAND

In 2021, nan U.S. Surgeon General declared a younker intelligence wellness emergency. Researchers opportunity that nationalist schools are strategical resources for screening, curen and referral for intelligence wellness services for young group who look barriers successful different settings.

Researchers wanted to understand screening for intelligence wellness astatine U.S. nationalist schools, fixed accrued concerns astir younker intelligence wellness pursuing nan challenges posed by nan COVID-19 pandemic.

In October 2024, nan RAND study surveyed 1,019 principals who participate successful nan RAND American School Leader panel, a nationally typical sample of K-12 nationalist schoolhouse principals.

They were asked whether their schoolhouse mandated screening for intelligence wellness issues, what steps are taken if a student is identified arsenic having slump aliases anxiety, and really easy aliases difficult it is to guarantee that specified students received capable services.

Researchers recovered that 30.5% of responding principals said their schoolhouse required screening of students pinch intelligence wellness problems, pinch astir 80% reporting that parents typically are notified if students surface affirmative for slump aliases anxiety.

More than 70% of principals reported that their schoolhouse offers in-person curen for students who surface positive, while 53% of principals said they whitethorn mention a student to a organization intelligence wellness attraction professional.

The study recovered higher rates of intelligence wellness screenings successful schools pinch 450 aliases much students and successful districts pinch mostly group and taste number groups arsenic nan student populations.

"Policies that beforehand national and authorities backing for schoolhouse intelligence health, reimbursement for school-based intelligence wellness screening, and capable schoolhouse intelligence wellness unit ratios whitethorn summation screening rates and summation nan likelihood of successfully connecting nan student to treatment," Cantor said.

Support for nan study was provided by nan National Institute of Mental Health.

Other authors of nan study are Ryan K. McBain, Aaron Kofner, Joshua Breslau and Bradley D. Stein, each of RAND; Jacquelin Rankine of nan University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Fang Zhang, Hao Yu and Alyssa Burnett, each of nan Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute; and Ateev Mehrotra of nan Brown University School of Public Health.