Nearly one-third of U.S. K-12 public schools mandate mental health screening for students, but officials say getting children the support they need is a challenge, according to a study released July 18.
Researchers from RAND Corporation, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Brown University School of Public Health found that most schools offer in-person treatment or referral to a community mental health professional if a student is identified as having depression or anxiety. However, about 40 percent of principals surveyed said it was very hard or somewhat hard to ensure that students receive appropriate care. On the other hand, 38 percent said it was easy or very easy to find adequate care for students.
“Our results suggest that there are multiple barriers to mental health screening in schools, including a lack of resources and knowledge of screening mechanics, as well as concerns about increased workload of identifying students,” said Jonathan Cantor, the study’s lead author and a policy researcher at RAND. “Policies that promote federal and state funding for school mental health, reimbursement for school-based mental health screening, and adequate school mental health staff ratios may increase screening rates and increase the likelihood of successfully connecting the student to treatment.”
When former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared a youth mental health emergency in 2021, researchers noted that schools play a vital role in ensuring that more young people who face barriers for screening, treatment and referral for mental health services receive the support they need.
Nearly 1,020 school principals surveyed nationwide were asked whether their school mandated screening for mental health issues, what steps are taken if a student is identified as having depression or anxiety, and how easy or difficult it is to ensure that such students received adequate services. Key findings detailed in the report show that:
- A little more than 30 percent of respondents said their school required screening of students with mental health problems
- Nearly 80 percent said parents typically are notified if students screen positive for depression or anxiety
- More than 70 percent said their school offers in-person treatment for students who screen positive, while 53 percent of principals said they may refer a student to a community mental health care professional
- Schools with 450 or more students and those in districts with mostly racial and ethnic minority groups as the student populations had higher rates of mental health screenings
