"Expanded School Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities in an Emerging Field." By Mark D. Wiest, University of Maryland School of Medicine and Steven W. Evans, James Madison University. IN: Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 34, no. 1 (February 2005) pp. 3-6.

[“This article "reviews the need for and development of expanded school mental health (ESMH) programs, which provide a continuum of mental health promotion and intervention through school-community partnerships. Since ESMH is a relatively new, but increasingly prominent field, countless issues are being addressed in practice and research and in efforts to bridge practice and research. We review particular content and context dimensions of ESMH in need of development including quality assessment and improvement, empirically supported practice, improving assessment and outcome evaluation, involving educators in the work, understanding school environments, and tailoring programs through qualitative research. Summaries of articles that amplify these themes are provided." NOTE: The Journal of Youth and Adolescence is available for loan.]

[Request #S705126]

“Feasibility of the MindMatters School Mental Health Promotion Program in American Schools.” By Steven W. Evans, James Madison University, and others. IN: Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 34, no. 1 (February 2005) pp.51-59.

[This article reviews “the feasibility of the Australian MindMatters program, a whole school mental health promotion program for application in the United States (U.S.).” As part of the review, “forty-two participants representing school and community stakeholder groups from four U.S. communities (urban, rural, suburban, small town) evaluated the program for application in their communities through a research process involving discussion and endorsement ratings of relevance and likely impact. The majority of participants (85%) indicated that the program would help students in their community schools feel safe and valued and participants indicated strong endorsement for MindMatters curriculum units focusing on suicide prevention and addressing bullying and harassment. Participants rated their own stakeholder group (e.g., teacher, school administrator, and parent) as being most likely to support and implement the program, suggesting that providing qualitative feedback on a program may help to increase a sense of ownership over it. Ideas for tailoring programs developed in other settings for application in local communities are discussed.” NOTE: Journal of Youth and Adolescence available for loan.]

[Request #S705127]

"The Impact of School Mental Health Services on Out-of-School Suspension Rates." By Eric J. Bruns, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and others. IN: Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 34, no. 1 (February 2005) pp. 23-30.

["The current study investigated whether the presence of school-based mental health clinicians in an urban school district was associated with reduced out-of-school suspension rates. Forty one elementary schools with expanded school mental health (ESMH) programs were compared to 41 schools without ESMH programs. Correctional analyses revealed associations between suspension outcomes and several school-level demographic variables including school attendance rate, percent of students in poverty, and percent of nonwhite students in the school. After controlling for these variables, however, results of stepwise linear regressions demonstrated no significant differences between ESMH and non-ESMH schools on suspension outcomes. Results of the current study suggest that the presence of ESMH clinicians will not necessarily impact suspension rates in an elementary school. Targeted and well-implemented approaches to address behaviors that lead to suspension, or school-and system-level policies to provide alternatives to suspensions, will likely be a better route to achieving this outcome.” NOTE: Journal of Youth and Adolescence available for loan.]

[Request #S705128]

“Improving Children’s Coping with Every Day Stress: Transporting Treatment Interventions to the School Setting.” By Donna B. Pincus, Boston University, and Alice G. Friedman, Binghamton University. IN: Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review, vol. 7, no. 4 (December 2004) pp. 223-240.

[“Children are continuously confronted with everyday stressors in their daily routine, and their ability to deal with these stressors has been found to be significantly related to their psychological adjustment. In fact, numerous studies have indicated that having a repertoire of coping skills at a young age can be a “buffer” or moderator” of the effects of negative life stress on the development of psychological maladjustment. Because of the importance of developing adequate skills to navigate life’s daily challenges, a number of school-based interventions have been designed with the goal of teaching children specific “problem-focused” skills that are presumed to enhance coping, yet fewer programs have taught children “emotion focused” skills such as cognitive restructuring or emotional regulation to deal with more uncontrollable stressors.

This paper begins with a review of the theoretical and empirical literature on children’s coping with everyday stress and then provides a description of several existing coping skills training programs for children, highlighting those that are school-based interventions. A description is provided of a brief, school based intervention that was recently implemented to determine the differential effects of teaching young children “problem-focused” skills and teaching “emotion-focused” skills on children’s subsequent use of specific coping strategies. The study and its outcomes are reviewed. The final section of the paper focuses on issues related to conducting intervention research in the schools, and specific suggestions for researchers are delineated for every stage in the process of school based research, to best assure that the research program can be implemented in the schools efficiently and effectively.”]

[Request #S705129]

"Overcoming Challenges to Using Evidence-Based Interventions in Schools." By Cindy M. Schaeffer, University of Maryland, and others. IN: Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 34, no.1 (February 2005) pp. 15-22.

["The Center for School Mental Health Assistance at the University of Maryland recently completed a review of evidence-based prevention and treatment programs that can be used by school mental health clinicians. Based on the review, a school-based program operating in 22 Baltimore City schools has purchased and trained clinicians in a number of protocols for evidence-based interventions. We present findings from this review and make pragmatic recommendations for school mental health programs to overcome the challenges associated with the use of evidence-based interventions." NOTE: Journal of Youth and Adolescence is available for loan.]

[Request #S705130]

"Rationale and Strategies for Central Involvement of Educators in Effective School-Based Mental Health Programs." By Carel E. Paternite, Miami University, and Therese Chiara Johnston, Director of Positive Education Program (PEP) Cleveland, Ohio. IN: Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 34, no. 1 (February 2005) pp. 41-49.

["Unfortunately, for many mental health professionals, classroom teachers and other educators are, at best, viewed primarily or solely as useful sources of information about a child, and their broader, invaluable roles as members of the 'mental health team' are diminished or dismissed. This article examines the conceptual rationale and empirical support for central involvement of educators (especially classroom teachers) in effective mental health services, and in effective expanded school-based mental health programs. The importance of partnerships with educators for school-wide mental health promotion efforts, as well as for the success of primary and secondary prevention initiatives, is highlighted. Effective strategies and recommendations for enhancement of educator-mental health professional collaboration are included.” NOTE: Journal of Youth and Adolescence available for loan.]

[Request #S705131]

“School-Based Interventions for Students with Depressive Disorders.” By Richard W. Auger, Minnesota State University. IN: Professional School Counseling, vol. 8, no. 4 (April 2005) pp. 344-352.

[“Substantial numbers of children and adolescents suffer from depressive disorders, and these disorders bring with them an array of negative consequences. School counselors can assist students with depressive disorders by implementing individual and group interventions and consulting with teachers and other school staff to implement interventions in the classroom and the larger school environment. This article presents a set of guidelines and strategies to guide school counselors in their intervention efforts with depressed students. Much more research is needed regarding the link between all types of school-based mental health services and actual student outcomes and the area of depression is no exception. More research is needed to further identify and validate school-based interventions for students with depressive disorders. School counselors can be helpful in this area by contributing their experiences of working with depressed students to the professional literature. In this way, better linkages can be made between the types of general intervention guidelines suggested by current research and practical, usable, specific interventions that can be employed in the schools.”]

[Request #S705132]

“Using a School-Based Intervention to Challenge Stigmatizing Attitudes and Promote Mental Health in Teenagers.” By Vicky Essler, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, others. IN: Journal of Mental Health, vol. 15, no. 2 (April 2006) pp. 243-250.

[“Background: It is increasingly recognized that mental health promotion should target not just individual mental health but the negative effect of stigmatizing attitudes. Improved self-esteem may decrease the need to discriminate against others, and there is evidence that educational interventions can promote positive attitudes towards those with mental health problems. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a school-based intervention involving a professional theatre company in increasing teenagers' knowledge about mental health issues, and promoting positive attitudes towards people with mental health problems.

Methods: The study design was a non-controlled intervention study. Secondary school pupils knowledge about, and attitudes towards, mental health problems, were measured before and after an educational intervention using the “Mindout for Mental Health” quiz. Results: Pupils' median quiz score was greater following the intervention than before it (p = 0.015). Following the intervention there was an increase in the proportion of pupils giving correct responses to questions regarding the incidence of mental health problems, the symptoms of mental health problems, and, to a lesser extent the risk of violence perpetrated by people with mental health problems. In contrast, the proportion of students who correctly responded to questions about the discrimination faced by those with mental health problems decreased between baseline and follow-up.

Conclusions: School-based interventions that are both educational and experiential have the potential to improve knowledge about mental health problems and decrease stigmatizing attitudes among 13 – 14-year-old pupils. Declaration of interest: Financial support for the study was provided by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.”]

[Request #S705133]