Jessika H. Bottiani, Maisha Gillins, Charity Brown Griffin, Chelsea A. Kaihoi, Lorenzo Hughes, Sharon Pendergrass, Toshna Pandey, Ryan Voegtlin, Sandy Rouiller, Elise T. Pas, Katrina J. Debnam, Catherine P. Bradshaw
{"title":"A Research-Practice Partnership to Develop the R-CITY Multi-Component, Equity-Focused Social–Emotional Learning Intervention","authors":"Jessika H. Bottiani, Maisha Gillins, Charity Brown Griffin, Chelsea A. Kaihoi, Lorenzo Hughes, Sharon Pendergrass, Toshna Pandey, Ryan Voegtlin, Sandy Rouiller, Elise T. Pas, Katrina J. Debnam, Catherine P. Bradshaw","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09703-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09703-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is growing interest in the integration of social–emotional learning (SEL) and equity approaches in schools, yet systematic research on how to blend these two frameworks is limited. In this article, we describe the process by which a research-practice partnership (RPP) collaborated to iteratively co-create a multi-component equity-focused SEL preventive intervention in the context of a politically charged landscape related to the ‘dual pandemics’ of racial injustice and COVID-19 in the early 2020s. We conducted a document review of informal data sources (e.g., meeting minutes, correspondence) and analyses of formal data sources (i.e., teacher interviews, student focus groups) to describe how we overcame challenges to form an RPP, to demonstrate our collaborative intervention development efforts, and to assess feedback on the contextual appropriateness of the intervention. We discuss lessons learned from our partnership efforts and reflect on future directions for RPP-driven work to advance equity-focused SEL in K-12 public schools.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142199707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research-Practice Partnerships for the Development of School Mental Health Interventions: An Introduction to the Special Issue","authors":"Gwendolyn M. Lawson, Julie Sarno Owens","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09707-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09707-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The rising prevalence of mental health challenges among youth has created a pressing need for effective, feasible, equitable, and contextually relevant interventions. Educators and school mental health professionals face critical challenges in helping students overcome such barriers to school success. This makes the need for school-based intervention development research particularly that conducted in the context of collaborative research-practice partnerships, greater than ever. Despite the critical importance of iterative intervention development work, such work often receives less in attention in the published literature compared to studies about the outcomes of interventions. The goal of this special issue is to highlight innovative and rigorous research that describes the process of iteratively developing school mental health services in partnership with educators. Each paper in the special issue describes how education partners (and others including students, families, and other community partners) contributed to the development of an intervention or implementation strategy (i.e., a method or technique to enhance intervention adoption, implementation, or sustainment), how data informed iterations of the intervention or strategy, considerations related to contextual appropriateness, and lessons learned related to community-partnered school-based intervention development. In this introduction paper, we provide a context for this work and highlight innovations across papers in the special issue.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142199708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karen E. Schlag, Elizabeth Torres, Jackson Gasperecz, Shannon Guillot-Wright
{"title":"A Schoolwide Social Emotional Learning and Student Mental Health Initiative: Influences on Implementation During a Transition Back to In-Person Learning","authors":"Karen E. Schlag, Elizabeth Torres, Jackson Gasperecz, Shannon Guillot-Wright","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09704-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09704-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>While social emotional learning (SEL) school-based initiatives can benefit student well-being and learning, a need remains for a more nuanced understanding of aspects affecting systemic SEL integration within under-resourced learning environments. This study considered factors affecting implementation of a community initiative to provide schoolwide SEL curriculum and mental health support services at an economically disadvantaged school district in the USA at a time when students were returning to fully in-person learning after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. School administrators, counselors, teachers, SEL coaches, and mental health professionals (<i>n</i> = 23) participated in individual interviews or focus groups to discuss their experiences implementing schoolwide SEL services during this time. Results from reflexive thematic analysis indicated themes around facilitators and barriers to maintaining systemic SEL in the school district. Facilitators to schoolwide SEL implementation included faculty and staff efforts to normalize talk about mental health and collaborate when providing SEL content and mental health support. Implementation barriers included insufficient professional staffing, student absenteeism, and teacher and student resistance to SEL. Findings underscore the need for future research to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of differing collaborative approaches to SEL implementation as well as methods for addressing low teacher/student SEL responsiveness to mental health programs in underserved schools. Interventions should also consider ways to proactively address challenges to schoolwide SEL implementation in lower-income communities, including decreased leadership support.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142199717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multilevel Factors of School-Based Mental Health Service Utilization Among Middle and High School Students","authors":"Jennifer Murphy, Youngmi Kim, Kristen Kerr","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09705-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09705-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Evidence suggests that youth progressively experience mental health needs and discover mental health symptoms for the first time in adolescence. Schools have come to the forefront of providing mental health services, as adolescents spend most of their day in the academic setting. The current study aimed to examine individual and school-level factors related to school-based mental health service use. This study employed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, sampling students between 12 and 17 years old across 172 schools (<i>N</i> = 14,464). The dependent variable was use of school-based mental health services (SMHS) in the past year. Individual-level predictors included sociodemographic characteristics, enabling factors, and need. School-level factors were then included. We conducted a multilevel logistic regression model clustering at the school level. The study found that approximately 11% of variation in SMHS utilization is explained at the school-level. The odds of SMHS use was significantly associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and risk-taking behaviors. The odds of SMHS was higher for females, Black compared to White students, and public assistance recipients. SMHS use was negatively associated with school connectedness. The racial breakdown of student enrollment and location of services were significant factors that predicted service use. This study is among the first empirical studies providing important evidence regarding individual and school-level predictors of SMHS utilization. The study has implications for the continued need for school-based mental health professionals and school institutions’ efforts to meet students’ mental health needs and increase their access to services.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"151 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142199709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advancing the Science of Intervention Development in School Mental Health: A Commentary on this Special Issue","authors":"Steven W. Evans, Azadeh Bakhtiari","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09706-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09706-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This commentary examines the critical importance of intervention development and adaptation research in school mental health, as highlighted by the studies in this special issue. We discuss two primary reasons for advancing this field: increasing the use of evidence-based practices and enhancing intervention benefits by adapting to unique needs. The paper emphasizes the significance of identifying meaningful moderators of intervention response and proposes adopting an intersectionality perspective to better understand the complex factors influencing intervention effectiveness. We review several studies from the special issue that exemplify innovative approaches to intervention adaptation, including peer-supported interventions, culturally responsive programs for specific populations, and adaptations for rural school settings. The commentary also explores the distinction between adapting intervention “packaging” versus mechanisms of action, and highlights the value of community partner involvement in the development process. We argue that by carefully considering moderators of intervention response and embracing an intersectionality framework, researchers can develop effective interventions for diverse youth populations. The paper concludes by discussing future directions for intervention development research in school mental health, emphasizing the need for continued innovation to address the complex and varied needs of students in educational settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142199721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Supporting Innovative Scalable Approaches to School-Based Mental Health: Development and Innovation Research at the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES)","authors":"Emily J. Doolittle, Jacquelyn A. Buckley","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09700-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09700-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, is the nation's leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation, and statistics. IES’s National Center for Education Research supports rigorous research that addresses the nation's most pressing education needs from early childhood to adult education. IES’s National Center for Special Education Research supports a comprehensive program of education research designed to expand knowledge and understanding of infants, toddlers, and youth with and at risk for disabilities to improve their developmental, education, transition, and postsecondary outcomes. This paper makes the case that IES Development and Innovation research can support the development of usable, feasible, and affordable approaches (practices, programs, or policies) to help schools meet the mental health needs of their students and staff. The goal of this research is to ensure that school-based interventions are contextually appropriate, implemented with high fidelity, and more likely to produce equitable outcomes than current practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142199723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developing Optimized School-Based Mental Health Interventions: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Priorities and Opportunities","authors":"Mary E. Rooney, Marcy Burstein, Mary Acri","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09701-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09701-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The current youth mental health crisis has highlighted a substantial unmet need for effective, accessible, culturally sensitive mental health services and interventions. Schools have the potential to address this gap through the provision of evidence-based mental health interventions and services that meet the needs of their diverse student bodies. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports school mental health research that relies on partnerships between academic researchers and school communities to develop optimized interventions that bridge the research-to-practice gap. This article highlights current NIMH priorities in school mental health research and provides additional context for recent federal investments targeting the expansion of school-based mental health infrastructure and interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142199718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Associations Between Belonging and Peer Victimization and Internalizing Symptoms Among Middle School-Age Youth","authors":"Paula J. Fite, Daryl Hesse, Emily Hichborn","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09702-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09702-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The extant literature suggests the importance of belonging in preventing and reducing internalizing symptoms. However, it is not yet clear which sources of belonging are most distinctly and robustly linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety. Further, the associations between various sources of belonging when also considering forms of peer victimization have not been readily examined. As such, the current study examined how peer, family, and school belonging are differentially associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety among middle school-age students (<i>N</i> = 256, <i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 12.23 years, 52% male) when also considering the variance associated with forms of peer victimization. Further, sources of belonging were examined as moderators of the links between various forms of peer victimization and internalizing symptoms. Findings indicated that while family belonging was most robustly associated with depression symptoms, school belonging was most robustly associated with anxiety symptoms. Relational and cyber-, but not overt, victimization were distinctly and robustly associated with both symptom clusters. The only moderating effect evident was with school belonging and overt victimization, such that the association between overt victimization and depression symptoms was only evident when levels of school belonging were high. Findings contribute to our knowledge of distinct associations of various sources of belonging and further highlight the associations between peer victimization and internalizing symptoms among middle school students.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"82 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142199722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marloes L. Jaspers-van der Maten, Els W. M. Rommes
{"title":"Early Identification of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Difficulties in Primary Schools: Explanations for Special Educational Needs Coordinators’ Different Practices","authors":"Marloes L. Jaspers-van der Maten, Els W. M. Rommes","doi":"10.1007/s12310-024-09690-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09690-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Early identification of social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties (SEBDs) in children is essential to provide support and reduce the risk of negative outcomes. Schools are considered ideal settings to identify SEBDs, and in many countries special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) play a pivotal role in this respect. Although SENCOs may contribute to improving school-based identification of SEBDs by adopting a more systematic approach, they have a multitude of tasks and considerable professional discretion. As a result, there are differences between SENCOs in the quality of their identification practices in terms of the frequency of observations, the maintenance of a four-eyes principle, and the utilization of specialist knowledge, affecting whether and when SEBDs are identified. The aim of this study was to examine what factors can explain differences in these practices for early identification of SEBDs. Using a narrative qualitative approach, we interviewed 34 primary school professionals, studied school policy documents and observed team meetings. Thematic analysis revealed that an interplay of the factors: (1) (conformity to) school regulations, (2) team continuity, and (3) personal characteristics, explains why SENCOs decide differently on who conducts observations, and when. Generally, SENCOs are more likely to conform to frequent observations by at least two observers utilizing specialist knowledge, when schools have regulations that clearly define by whom and when observations should take place, with competent, committed, proactive school staff conforming to those regulations, within a stable team. Although each factor is important but not essential to ensure these practices, personal characteristics of the SENCO can compensate for a lack of clear school regulations or team discontinuity. Implications for school policy and practice are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":51538,"journal":{"name":"School Mental Health","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141883233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elise T. Pas, Christine Crimmins, Mary Kay Connerton, Ryan Voegtlin, Jessika H. Bottiani, Katrina J. Debnam, Kathryn B. Rockefeller, Megan C. Lewis, Susan Love, Catherine P. Bradshaw