School Mental Health最新文献

The complexities of individual (developmental changes) and contextual (change of school) factors interact during a school level transition period. The current study focuses on one aspect of possible difficulties, namely anxiety, and one potential support mechanism, specifically social support from family and peers, and their interplay during the school year when transitioning to a higher level of education. The study monitors anxiety levels of Slovene students (N = 115, 69.6% females) and the role of their social support through their transition using a longitudinal design with four time points—at the beginning of the school year, at the middle of the school year, at the end of the school year, and at the beginning of the new school year after the transition—in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from an unconditional growth model show a significant difference in anxiety at the initial measurement, while the change in time is insignificant. The findings show that peer support is a significant predictor of anxiety at all four time points and that family support is a significant predictor of anxiety at three of the four time points (not significant at the end of school year). Students who report a higher sense of peer and family support report less anxiety. As identified in the study, social support is an important protective factor for higher anxiety levels; therefore, it is important to provide mechanisms of social support during a transition and throughout the pre- and post-transition school years.

Youth with attention problems are at increased risk for school disengagement (Booster et al., JAD 16:179–189, 2012; DuPaul & Langberg, in: Barkley (ed), Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment, Guilford, New York, 2014), which portends risk for poor outcomes (Bond et al., JAH 40:357.e9–357, 2007; Carter et al., JA 30:51–62, 2007; Fredricks et al., RER 74:59–109, 2004). Interventions that target school engagement may benefit from peer delivery because peers are widely available in schools and potentially more credible than adults. In this study, a peer-supported school-based school engagement intervention for middle school students with attention problems, Together Engaging and Achieving Meaningfully (TEAM) was developed with educators and students. In initial development (Study One), community development team meetings with partners (N = 9 school staff and students) were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes used to refine TEAM. In Study Two, a single-case pilot with one student with attention problems and one peer coach was conducted. Measures of fidelity, attendance, acceptability, and satisfaction were collected. Results were used to refine TEAM. Then in pilot implementation (Study Three), a non-randomized pilot was conducted with 10 fifth- through seventh-grade students with attention problems (n = 6 in the intervention group) and six eighth-grade coaches. Measures of fidelity, attendance, acceptability, satisfaction, and clinician-required time for implementation were collected. Cohen’s d mean difference effect sizes were calculated between and within groups over implementation. Feedback from partners highlighted barriers and aspects that were acceptable and feasible. Results from implementation suggested high attendance, high coach fidelity with revised implementation support, and low clinician-required time. Lessons learned and avenues for future development and research are discussed.

A combination of personal, psychological, and environmental factors contributes to the risk of suicide attempts among those with suicidal thoughts and warrants further research. The study explored the associations of demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors with suicide attempts among a nationally representative of school-going Argentinian adolescents who have suicidal thoughts. The study analyzed the data from the Argentina Global School-based Students Survey 2018. The sample was restricted to adolescents with suicidal thoughts. The chi-square test was used to examine the association, and logistic regression determined the odds of suicide attempts across risk factors including demographic factors, psychosocial and environmental risks, as well as substance use and risk sex behaviors. In total, 11,962 (21.46%) of school-going Argentinian adolescents had suicidal thoughts, of whom 6033 (51.67%) had suicide attempts at least once in the last 12 months. Findings indicated that female adolescents had higher odds of attempts, paralleling global trends, while grade differences suggested a transitional phase’s significance. Among those with suicidal thoughts, psychosocial factors like loneliness, bullying, and school absenteeism played pivotal roles in enhancing the odds of suicide attempts. In addition, substance use, notably marijuana, amphetamines, alcohol, and early initiation were associated with a heightened risk of suicide attempts. Risky sexual behaviors, like early activity and multiple partners, were also associated with a higher likelihood of suicide attempts in suicide ideators. Emphasizing preventive measures targeting adolescents, particularly within school settings, is crucial for reducing suicide attempts among those experiencing suicidal thoughts.

School-based universal well-being screening is proposed within the Multi-tiered Systems of Support approach to collect data on school and individual well-being. Universal screening allows for data-based informed decision, allocating each pupil or set of pupils in universal, selective and/or indicated structured interventions and supports. However, schools require adequate and validated measures of both positive well-being and indicators of psychological health problems. This study focused on the adaptation and validation of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ) in Portugal, a tool directed to positive well-being screening. After a translation process, data was collected in 10 schools. A sample of 942 school pupils in the 3rd cycle was randomly split into two subsamples. First was conducted on one subsample, and then, CFA was conducted in the other. Gender and school year invariance were also conducted with the CFA subsample. Internal consistency was likewise analysed. The analysis finished with convergent and discriminant validity. Overall, results supported a second-order factor model (subjective well-being), including four first-order factors, with the elimination of one item and changing one item to another subscale. Results showed good reliability of each factor (all above 0.70). Full measurement invariance was reached for gender (male and female) and school year (7th, 8th and 9th grades). Convergent validity was found with measures of satisfaction with school, group identification with peers and school social support, and divergent validity was found with BPM-Y. Altogether, results support that SSWQ-PG can be used to screen for subjective well-being in schools, helping schools in identifying and addressing pupils’ mental health needs more effectively.

The goal of this qualitative study was to understand the perspectives of school community members (adolescents, parents, school administrators, teachers, mental health providers) regarding the adaptation of an evidence-based transdiagnostic mental health treatment, known as the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents, for delivery in racially/ethnically diverse schools. Thirty-three school community members (n = 9 adolescents, n = 4 parents, n = 5 school administrators, n = 10 teachers, n = 5 mental health providers) participated in a series of focus groups or individual interviews. We used a rapid qualitative analysis to summarize their recommendations for adapting our intervention across seven themes: (1) consider social determinants of health, (2) include content related to social media and digital literacy, (3) provide teachers and staff with training on identifying and referring to mental health services and basic psychoeducation, (4) build trust and reduce stigma, (5) use qualified mental health providers to conduct culturally relevant sessions in person during school hours, (6) consider flexible format offerings and extended intervention delivery window, and (7) anticipate low parental engagement. These data were critical for informing systematic content and procedural modifications to our adapted intervention, such as scheduling sessions for school lunch hours and identifying coaches (e.g., teachers, school administrators) to support students with check-ins regarding session attendance and skill practice. These adaptations may be applied more broadly to the implementation of evidence-based mental health interventions in diverse school settings.

As the teaching profession becomes more demanding and teachers’ work conditions become increasingly challenging, recent reports have shown declining levels of teacher well-being. Past studies on teacher well-being mostly focused its associations with teacher- and school-related outcomes. However, less research has been conducted on the implications of teacher well-being for their students’ well-being. In this study, we drew on prior work on social contagion to investigate the relationship of teacher well-being with that of their students. More specifically, we examined the relationship between teacher well-being (satisfaction with the teaching profession and satisfaction with the work environment) and student well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect). We drew on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 data which contained responses from 89,614 teachers and 93,555 students nested within 5400 schools across 19 countries/regions. Results of multilevel path analysis revealed that teacher satisfaction with the teaching profession was positively associated with student life satisfaction and positive affect, and negatively associated with negative affect. Teacher satisfaction with the work environment was positively related to student positive affect. The findings held after controlling for key covariates (school SES, and student SES and gender). Hence, teacher well-being seems to be an important contributing factor to student well-being.

This study investigates smartphone addiction prevalence among Tunisian middle school students and its associations with sleep quality, fatigue, cognitive functioning, and academic achievement. Using structured interviews, we collected demographic data, grade point averages, and phone usage details from 1015 students aged 14–16. Participants also completed the smartphone addiction scale: short version (SAS-SV), fatigue assessment scale (FAS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and cognitive failures questionnaire (CFQ). The results categorized 85.1% as “normal smartphone users” (NSUs) and 14.9% as “problematic smartphone users” (PSUs). Troublingly, higher SAS-SV scores correlated with poorer sleep quality, increased fatigue, and impaired cognitive functioning. Lower academic achievement was also associated with elevated SAS-SV scores. Though the percentage of addicted students seems modest, addressing smartphone addiction in Tunisian middle schools is crucial due to its associations with various psycho-physiological and cognitive impairments, underscoring the need for intervention strategies.

Siblings of children with chronic disorders are at a heightened risk for internalizing and externalizing problems. Studies on sibling mental health typically use parent report, and sometimes sibling self-report, but do not include the perspectives of teachers. We investigated how teachers and parents in Norway rated sibling mental health to gain a more coherent picture of siblings’ well-being and functioning across the home and school contexts. We compared how siblings aged 8–16 years (45% boys, 54% girls) were scored on the strengths and difficulties questionnaire by teachers (n = 125), mothers (n = 115), and fathers (n = 81) with population norms and clinical cutoffs. For boys, the mean teacher scores did not indicate problems for total difficulties or any subscale except hyperactivity–inattention, but mean parent scores were higher for total difficulties and most subscales (d = .44 to .96). For girls, teachers indicated higher than norm scores for total difficulties, emotional problems, hyperactivity–inattention and peer problems (d = .26 to .46), while parents indicated higher total difficulties and problems across most subscales (d = .31 to .54). Prosocial behavior was as a relative strength of siblings across all raters. Siblings may not display the same level of mental health problems in school as at home, and teachers can offer an important perspective on siblings’ mental health and functioning.

As the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) virus spread across the world, countries took drastic measures to counter the disease by requiring their citizens to home self-isolate i.e., lockdown. While it was not known how young people would cope with the social distancing restrictions, there was concern that the lockdown would have a debilitating effect on youth mental health. This study examined whether there was an association between adolescent subjective wellbeing and the amount of time spent in lockdown. Global Research Alliance researchers in 15 countries collected data using the Mental Health Continuum (Keyes in Am J Orthopsych 76:395–402, 2006) from over 7000 middle-school students aged 11–18. Findings show a decline in eudemonic wellbeing, particularly among females during the first 6 months of lockdown, which was most strongly associated with diminished psychological wellbeing, followed by social wellbeing, while emotional wellbeing remained relatively stable. An adaptation effect was noted after approximately 6 months. There was evidence suggesting females were slower to adapt to lockdown conditions compared to males. More attention should be paid to the wellbeing of students in lockdown to overcome languishing tendencies and educators should be cognizant of diminished student wellbeing, particularly among females, when students return to school. Positive school experiences, and positive relationships within the school community, may assist in reducing the risk of languishing in lockdown conditions, so schools should design interactive online activities for off-campus learning.

The FRIENDS Resilience programs provide cognitive-behavioral skills across the developmental spectrum and can be applied as a universal or selective prevention program. In the current study, we assessed whether, relative to the schools’ existing counseling curriculum (“guidance”), FRIENDS improved social skills, problem behaviors, and academic competence in a sample of 650 students in kindergarten, 2nd, 5th, and 7th grade in a rural community in the northeastern United States. Student, parent, and teacher reports were obtained pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 4 months later. Analyses examined FRIENDS as a universal prevention program in the general school population and as a selective intervention for at-risk students (those with elevated existing symptoms). Teachers reported improvements in social skills, problem behaviors, and academic competence, and parents reported improved problem behaviors immediately post-intervention for all students receiving FRIENDS and guidance. However, at-risk students who received FRIENDS experienced significantly greater improvements in teacher-reported problem behaviors compared to those who received guidance. When assessing changes over time once all students had received FRIENDS, teacher-rated social skills and academic competence improved, and student- and parent-rated problem behaviors decreased from pre- to post-FRIENDS and 4-month follow-up. Effects were consistent for the overall sample and at-risk students, with stronger effects for those at-risk. These small yet significant effects of FRIENDS as universal prevention may be more limited relative to usual guidance curriculum, but preventative effects may be enhanced for those students in more immediate need of support. Directions for future evaluation of FRIENDS are discussed.