A unique benefit of mental health service provision in schools is the opportunity to address mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention to improve students’ psychosocial and academic outcomes (Durlak & Wells, Citation1997; Greenberg et al., Citation2003; O’Connell, Boat, & Warner, Citation2009). This shift toward early intervention helps ensure that those students with or at risk for mental health problems will receive earlier treatment, a practice that will guide them toward a trajectory that avoids the development or exacerbation of symptoms. Moreover, the specific focus on universal mental health promotion complements the early intervention model by leveraging important natural supports such as teachers and administrators to support the mental health and wellness of all students (Atkins, Hoagwood, Kutash, & Seidman, Citation2010).
The articles in the current issue highlight the importance of school-based mental health promotion programs that are well-suited for the school context due to being student-guided (e.g. mindfulness approaches, peer education, youth mentoring), brief in duration, and leveraging the natural environment (e.g. classroom-based intervention, multiple school record and teacher observation data sources, classmates as peer educators). Moreover, although the motivational interviewing review conducted by Snape and Adkinson included some studies focusing on students already experiencing mental health concerns, most of the work represented in the current issue focuses on school-based services and supports that are appropriate to promote all students’ well-being and success. Articles in this issue represent school mental health research conducted in Ireland (O’Reilly and colleagues), New Zealand (Bernay and colleagues), the United Kingdom (Snape and Atkinson), Romania (Snape and Atkinson), and the United States (Snape and Atkinson; McQuillin and colleagues).
The first article in this issue by O’Reilly and colleagues illustrates evaluation outcomes of a school-based peer mental health education training program in post-primary schools in Ireland. Findings from self-report surveys indicated that participants (N = 30 students training to become peer educators) showed significant changes in presentation skills, mental health knowledge, and beliefs about help-seeking. There were also non-statistically significant improvements in participants’ self-esteem, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, perhaps due to ceiling effects given participants’ baseline strengths in these areas. This is a promising example of the positive impact that becoming a peer educator can have on the wellness of students who volunteer.
Next, in a randomized, controlled study of 72 middle-school students, McQuillin and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of a brief school-based mentoring program in the United States. Existing literature focuses on youth mentoring relationships which typically do not last longer than a few months. Short-term mentorship programs have been found to be associated with greater risk of harm to clients when the termination of the mentor–mentee relationship is not anticipated. Therefore, McQuillin and colleagues tested the effectiveness of an intentionally brief, goal-focused mentorship program. When compared to the no-treatment group, students who participated in the mentoring curriculum showed statistically significantly higher math and English grades, life satisfaction, and fewer school absences. This study also provides a comprehensive review of the theoretical bases and application of mentoring curricula.
Using a mixed-methods design, Bernay and colleagues examined the effects of an 8-week, classroom-based mindfulness program on elementary school student well-being. Bernay and colleagues tested the effectiveness of this program by teaching mindfulness skills in three New Zealand schools that serve a high proportion of students with low socioeconomic status. Increased mindfulness was positively related to improved student well-being, including emotion regulation, personal relationships, and perspective taking skills. Additionally, improvements in general classroom climate were noted.
The final paper in this issue is a systematic literature review conducted by Snape and Atkinson to determine the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) in educational settings. Using qualitative and quantitative assessment frameworks, the reviewers concluded that seven of the eleven included studies yielded positive findings on student-focused school-based motivational interviewing. Of note, this review includes international literature, and found that MI in school-based settings has been implemented using a wide variety of session lengths (one to ten sessions) and target outcomes (including emotional and behavioral well-being, academic, and vocational success). Although more rigorous research is warranted on the outcomes associated with school-based MI interventions, there appears to be great promise in school-based MI for students receiving all tiers of services and supports.
Joanna T. Prout
Meghan Kozlowski
Sharon Hoover Stephan
References
- Atkins, M. S., Hoagwood, K. E., Kutash, K., & Seidman, E. (2010). Toward the integration of education and mental health in schools. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 37, 40–47. doi:10.1007/s10488-010-0299
- Durlak, J. A., & Wells, A. M. (1997). Primary prevention mental health programs for children and adolescents: A meta-analytic review. American Journal of Community Psychology, 25, 115–152.10.1023/A:1024654026646
- Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R. P., O’Brien, M. U., Zins, J. E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. J. (2003). Enhancing school-based prevention and youth development through coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning. American Psychologist, 58, 466–474. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.58.6-7.466
- O’Connell, M. E., Boat, T., & Warner, K. E. (Eds.). (2009). Preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among young people progress and possibilities. National Academies Press.