{"id":33279,"date":"2016-11-07T06:00:18","date_gmt":"2016-11-07T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=33279"},"modified":"2016-11-04T11:55:53","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T18:55:53","slug":"addressing-the-rising-mental-health-crisis-in-public-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/addressing-the-rising-mental-health-crisis-in-public-schools-1107167","title":{"rendered":"Addressing the Rising Mental Health Crisis in Public Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Close-upMore than 50 million students are enrolled in public schools across the United States. Of those, one in five meet the criteria for a mental health condition<\/a>. About 70-80% of these students won\u2019t receive any kind of treatment or therapy. Because children<\/a> and adolescents spend most of their time at school, teachers, administrators, school nurses, and other staff are often in a unique position to be the first to identify any problems or issues in a child\u2019s life. Here are some ways for public schools to better address this rising mental health crisis.<\/p>\n

Mental Health Screening in Public Schools<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most schools do not have any type of mental health screening in place for students. The National Association on Mental Illness supports mental health screenings for several reasons. Half or more of chronic mental health issues begin at or before age 14. Early identification and treatment can help prevent more serious problems down the road.<\/p>\n

Just as screenings are done for a variety of physical health problems<\/a>, mental health screenings in public schools could greatly benefit vulnerable students. Conducting mental health screenings in schools allows teachers to recognize the warning signs of various mental health issues, allowing for earlier identification and quicker connections to the treatment resources students might need.<\/p>\n

The Role of Public School Nurses in Mental Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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While school nurses are usually the most likely to catch any mental health issues early on, many schools only have one on-staff nurse, and many of these nurses only work part-time. It is not uncommon for entire school districts to share one nurse, meaning that one nurse may see hundreds or even thousands of students (depending upon the size of the district). This makes it more unlikely that a school nurse would be able to spot symptoms of mental health issues, as the nurse may not be available or have enough time with each student to address their needs.<\/p>\n

According to the American Association of Pediatrics, schools function as the mental health system for approximately 80% of students. For this reason, school nurses play a critical role in identifying problems so they can be treated as soon as possible. Unfortunately, school nurses typically receive little to no training in mental health.<\/p>\n

While nurses aren\u2019t expected to be psychologists<\/a> or therapists, they should be aware of emotional, physical, and behavioral warning signs for common mental health problems. Awareness and recognition of problems as soon as they arise could prevent a suicide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Integrated Mental Health Strategy in Public Schools <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Researchers suggest the best way to help students with mental health issues may be to have teachers, counselors, administrators, and school nurses work together to spot and handle mental health issues. Saddling this responsibility on one teacher or administrator is not likely to be effective because they typically do not have the necessary training or time. On average, school counselors see around 500 students. School nurses may see even more students, especially if they are the only nurse for an entire district. Teachers also see a significant amount of students, ranging from 20-30 in elementary schools to hundreds of students in middle schools and high schools where students change classes and teachers throughout the day.<\/p>\n

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Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\tAdvanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>Integrating mental health care and strategies in public schools can help all staff who encounter students. They will likely be better able to recognize mental health problems and provide early intervention as well as prevention for many issues, including thoughts of suicide, drug and alcohol use<\/a>, and relationship abuse<\/a>. To recognize these potential problems, some degree of training in mental health will likely be necessary.<\/p>\n

Some signs that a student may be experiencing a mental health condition include:<\/p>\n