Analyzing Public Support for School-Based Mental Health Services.

Abstract

Context: Public schools play a central role in addressing the mental health crisis among American youth, but most schools are limited in the services they provide. As of 2019, 44% of administrators cited concerns about the public's reaction as an obstacle to expanding these services.

Methods: We draw on observational data from three national surveys to study the individual-level characteristics that are associated with support for these programs. Then, we use a conjoint experiment, which randomly varies the details of a proposal at a hypothetical school board meeting to identify the programs, policies, and contexts that are most likely to gain the public's support.

Results: We find support for school mental health programs to be higher for women, racial minorities, younger people, and Democrats. The conjoint experiment results suggest that school mental health services receive more support when they are funded via state as opposed to local taxes, and when parental permission is required to participate.

Conclusions: The results offer guidance for policymakers, emphasizing high overall public support for school mental health services, while highlighting key factors that may facilitate their implementation and acceptance.