A roadmap to equitable school mental health screening

Bibliographic Data

ID21354923
AuthorsStephanie Moore (0000-0001-5545-1894), Stephanie A Moore (0000-0003-1550-8344, University of California, Riverside, corresponding author), Anna C J Long (0000-0002-0486-5074, Louisiana State University), Sean Coyle (0000-0002-3240-5120, Montclair State University), Jennifer M Cooper (0000-0003-0509-1653, Yeshiva University), Ashley Mayworm (0000-0002-1984-4970, Loyola University Chicago), Ashley M Mayworm, Samira Amirazizi (0000-0002-7767-4842, University of California, Santa Barbara), Kelly L Edyburn (University of California, San Francisco), Paige Pannozzo (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Danbi Choe (0000-0003-0632-8392, Louisiana State University), Faith G Miller (0000-0001-9229-4066, Twin Cities Orthopedics), Katie Eklund (0000-0001-7159-8343, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Jill H Bohnenkamp (0000-0001-6688-0758, University of Maryland, Baltimore), Jill Bohnenkamp, Sara A Whitcomb (0000-0003-3836-5446, University of Massachusetts Amherst), Sara Whitcomb, Tara C Raines (0000-0001-6724-2010, University of Nevada, Las Vegas), Erin Dowdy (0000-0001-6402-3277, University of California, Santa Barbara)
Year2023
Volume96
Pages57-74
Publication date2023-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of School Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-4405 • E-ISSN: 1873-3506
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.jsp.2022.11.001
PMID36641225
OpenAlexW4312052364
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited75

Youth in the United States are experiencing mental health concerns at alarming rates. Considering the nation's legacy of racism and growing recognition of the impact of social determinants of health on educational and mental health inequities, it is imperative to re-envision how we approach mental health screening in schools to center equity. A focus on mental health screening for the sole purpose of identifying individual at-risk students ignores key contextual considerations, is ineffective in addressing health and educational inequities, and has the potential to perpetuate oppressive practices in schools. Equity-focused mental health screening requires a shift from individual- and deficit-focused approaches to systems- and holistic-focused approaches that (a) identify strengths and stressors among individuals, groups, and communities; (b) dismantle structural forms of oppression; and (c) promote positive mental health outcomes for minoritized youth. Integrating recommendations from the educational equity literature and critical school mental health frameworks, this paper identifies core considerations for equitable school mental health screening and provides guiding principles for each phase of the screening process, from screening readiness to execution to follow up. To implement these recommendations and transform school-based mental health care, schools should (a) incorporate multiple perspectives; (b) prioritize student, family, and community voices; and (c) build collaborative partnerships to co-construct a vision for equitable school mental health

Equity (law) · Health equity · Medical education · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Public health · Public relations · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance