Evidence Based School Psychiatry

The challenges of providing mental health services to school children are numerous and diverse, ranging from staffing shortages to insufficient funding to family resistance to administrative indifference. Yet with the U.S. Surgeon General estimating that approximately 20% of young people display signs of psychological problems, the need for such services – particularly for interventions that not only address mental health issues but also reinforce protective factors – is considerable.

by James C. Raines (Editor)
Though schools have become the default mental health providers for children and adolescents, they are poorly equipped to meet the mental health needs of their students

This book describes key practices to bring school mental health programs to scale in a sustainable and effective manner. It emphasizes practices that facilitate the organization and delivery of evidence-based mental health interventions in schools. The volume addresses systems issues and practices that lay the groundwork for creating sustainable school mental health programs. It explores important considerations at the school, district, and state levels; tiered intervention as a framework to support school mental health; preparing the workforce; resource utilization and assuring cultural responsiveness and equity for under-served groups of students. In addition, the book focuses on recent and emerging evidence-based practices for practicably scaling school mental health in schools. Chapters examine systematic screening, followed by specific interventions, including just-in-time training and single session interventions. The book concludes with a focus on ways to address systemic barriers to school mental health, such as addressing the mental health of immigrants.

This book addresses and reviews progress in a major innovative development within police work known as evidence-based policing. It involves a significant extension and strengthening of links between research and practice and is directed to the task of increasing police effectiveness in the field of community crime prevention.

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview to implementing effective evidence-based mental health promotion in schools. It addresses issues surrounding the increasing demands on school psychologists and educational and mental health professionals to support and provide improved student well-being, learning, and academic outcomes. The volume explores factors outside the traditional framework of learning that are important in maximizing educational outcomes as well as how students learn to cope with emotional challenges that confront them both during their school years and across the lifespan. Chapters offer robust examples of successful programs and interventions, addressing a range of student issues, including depression, self-harm, social anxiety, high-achiever anxiety, and hidden distress. In addition, chapters explore ways in which mental health and education professionals can implement evidence-informed programs, from the testing and experimental stages to actual use within schools and classrooms.