TY - JOUR
T1 - Establishing ongoing, early identification programs for mental health problems in our schools
T2 - A feasibility study
AU - Nemeroff, Robin
AU - Levitt, Jessica Mass
AU - Faul, Lisa
AU - Wonpat-Borja, Ahtoy
AU - Bufferd, Sara
AU - Setterberg, Stephen
AU - Jensen, Peter S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Carmel Hill Fund and Prairie St. John's. The authors thank all of the counselors, administrators, school districts, and clinical sites in the Fargo, ND-Moorhead, MN area that participated in the Prairie Evaluation Project.
PY - 2008/3
Y1 - 2008/3
N2 - Objective: To investigate the feasibility of establishing ongoing, early identification services for mental health problems in school settings. Method: School counselors and other mental health professionals (N= 41) in middle, junior, and high schools (N= 23) were given training and supervision in the administration of an evidence-based mental health assessment tool, the Voice Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children IV (DISC-IV), over the course of 11/2 school years. Results: During the study, 530 students were selected to be assessed with the DISC, and 72% were confirmed to be at risk for a mental health problem (DISC+). Among DISC+ cases, 71% had never been in treatment before. The most common problems identified by the DISC were symptoms related to suicide (28%), social phobia (20%), attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (19%), and oppositional defiant disorder (19%). Based on schools' recommendations, 82% of parents with DISC+ children agreed to make an appointment for a follow-up evaluation. Of DISC+ children whose parents agreed to seek further evaluation, 65% of them were evaluated by a health or mental health professional within 2 weeks. Conclusions: Use of a computerized, evidence-based mental health assessment tool is a feasible strategy for providing early mental health identification services in schools and can help to bridge the gap between mental health providers and the unmet needs of children who are at risk for mental health problems within the community.
AB - Objective: To investigate the feasibility of establishing ongoing, early identification services for mental health problems in school settings. Method: School counselors and other mental health professionals (N= 41) in middle, junior, and high schools (N= 23) were given training and supervision in the administration of an evidence-based mental health assessment tool, the Voice Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children IV (DISC-IV), over the course of 11/2 school years. Results: During the study, 530 students were selected to be assessed with the DISC, and 72% were confirmed to be at risk for a mental health problem (DISC+). Among DISC+ cases, 71% had never been in treatment before. The most common problems identified by the DISC were symptoms related to suicide (28%), social phobia (20%), attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (19%), and oppositional defiant disorder (19%). Based on schools' recommendations, 82% of parents with DISC+ children agreed to make an appointment for a follow-up evaluation. Of DISC+ children whose parents agreed to seek further evaluation, 65% of them were evaluated by a health or mental health professional within 2 weeks. Conclusions: Use of a computerized, evidence-based mental health assessment tool is a feasible strategy for providing early mental health identification services in schools and can help to bridge the gap between mental health providers and the unmet needs of children who are at risk for mental health problems within the community.
KW - Early identification in schools
KW - Evidence-based assessment
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U2 - 10.1097/CHI.0b013e318160c5b1
DO - 10.1097/CHI.0b013e318160c5b1
M3 - Article
C2 - 18216732
AN - SCOPUS:45549097080
SN - 0890-8567
VL - 47
SP - 328
EP - 338
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry
IS - 3
ER -