Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Brief Measure of School and Community Mental Health Supports and Services

This study evaluated a self-report survey assessing school professionals’ perceptions of school and community mental health supports and services. Based on responses from 560 school professionals, findings provide support for the measure’s internal structure and ability to distinguish low-poverty and high-poverty schools. Practitioners and researchers may consider using this survey to understand perceptions of the quality and availability of mental health services, informing the selection and adaptation of school-based mental health supports and services

Collaborating to Support School Reintegration Following Suicide-Related Crises: Voices From the Field

Adolescent psychiatric hospitalization for suicide-related crises continues to rise. Although previous reviews have identified frameworks for supporting youth as they return to school settings, there is a need to identify and address barriers to collaboration across hospitals and schools. This qualitative study explored school and hospital professional perspectives to inform a pathway toward partnership for improving practices for school reintegration. As part of a larger project that has been developing guidelines for adolescent school reintegration following psychiatric hospitalization for suicide-related crises, the present study explored professional perceptions of (a) school interactions during hospital stays and (b) recommendations for adolescents, families, school professionals, and hospital professionals. We conducted in-depth interviews with 19 school professionals and seven hospital professionals and analyzed transcribed interviews using Applied Thematic Analysis. Communication and collaboration emerged as cross-cutting themes across research questions, with additional themes considered across a continuum of care. Findings inform the ways in which professionals can collaborate to support adolescent recovery, spanning universal approaches implemented in advance of a crisis to approaches enacted during and following psychiatric care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring Mental Health and Academic Outcomes of Children Receiving Non-manualized, Transdiagnostic, Task-Shifted Mental Health Care From Their Teachers in a Low-and-Middle Income Country

A majority of children worldwide who face mental health difficulties, especially in low-and-middle income countries, remain undiagnosed and untreated. This deficit roots in part from a lack of trained professionals qualified to provide care. Task-shifting the provision of treatment to teachers, individuals with consistent access to children, can reduce the care gap. The current study investigated whether the implementation of a pilot trial of Tealeaf-Mansik Swastha (Teachers Leading the Frontlines—Mental Health; “Tealeaf”) was associated with improvements in child mental health and academic outcomes. Tealeaf is a transdiagnostic, non-manualized, task-shifting intervention in which teachers identify students in need of mental health care and then provide task-shifted care for them using an emerging, novel therapy modality, “education as mental health therapy” (Ed-MH). Pre-post standardized quantitative measures focused on child mental health status and academics. The measures were completed by multiple raters and compared to determine whether changes occurred. Results indicated that primary teacher raters observed significant improvements in child mental health symptoms overall, while secondary teacher raters and caregivers noted improvement for certain diagnostic categories. Caregivers observed on average a decreased impact of their children's mental health symptoms on their children's lives. Academically, math scores significantly improved while reading trended toward significance. Preliminary evidence overall supports the viability of Tealeaf and Ed-MH for positively impacting child mental health and academics. Future directions include the implementation of a formalized, randomized-controlled trial to strengthen preliminary outcomes

Teacher and caregiver perceptions of family engagement in teacher-led task-shifted child mental health care in a low-and-middle-income country

The mental health needs of children in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) often go unmet due to a lack of qualified mental health professionals. Task-shifting the provision of mental health services to teachers may facilitate access to care. Family engagement in task-shifting may support mental health outcomes but is understudied in this context. The current study explored teacher and caregiver perceptions of family engagement within a teacher-led, task-shifted mental health intervention in an LMIC. Primary school teachers from five schools in Darjeeling, India delivered evidence-based, indicated mental health care to children with mental health needs throughout the school day. We conducted semi-structured interviews (SSIs) with teachers (n=17) and caregivers (n=21). SSIs were coded for themes related to family engagement. Teachers and caregivers were compared based on perceived levels of engagement. Participants reported three patterns of engagement: families who fully engaged; families who felt positively about teachers but displayed little engagement; and families with limited engagement. Barriers included logistical challenges and misconceptions about the programme. Many teachers implicated family engagement as a facilitator of the programme, suggesting that family involvement may support intervention outcomes. Future work could involve the development of an intervention component to better facilitate engagement in this context. Trial registration: Clinical Trials Registry India identifier: CTRI/2018/01/011471