Debate: Student mental health matters – the heightened need for school‐based mental health in the era of COVID‐19

Abstract

Child and adolescent psychiatrists are taught from day 1 of training to always place the child's best interest first. However, children can only do well when their caregivers and communities are similarly well supported. In considering the complex challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, the best interests of children can only be met by simultaneously considering the best interests of parents, families, teachers, and school staff. As schools open, in whatever shape or form, mental health practitioners who work in schools will be busier than ever. Even before this COVID-19 apocalypse began, schools were already ill equipped to meet students' mental health needs. It has been estimated that more than seven million children in the United States have a mental health disorder; less than half of those diagnosed actually receive treatment, and of those who do receive treatment, over 75% receive this treatment at schools (McKay, Lynn, & Bannon, 2005; Merikangas et al., 2011). Whether schools open, stay closed, or work semivirtually, the existing challenges will multiply and vary according to the specific solutions developed. Just as hospitals faced a crisis when the pandemic began, now school administrators, families, students, and school staff face similar distress, uncertainty, and confusion about how to return to school given the new realities of COVID-19. The solutions will necessarily vary by community, level of COVID infection, school size, and resources. Surprisingly, in all that has been written about returning to school, very little has been targeted toward meeting the mental health needs of students, teachers, and other school staff. Mental health contributes to overall health, and students must be healthy enough to learn. We know our children should return to school, but to do that they need a safe, secure, and supportive learning environment with professionals who also feel safe and cared about. If the stress and illness burden is not too great, we hope that the resilience of youth will prevail. However, those children already burdened by mental health challenges may suffer more. Mental health and educational disparities will widen the pandemic's negative impact in marginalized and under-resourced communities. Evidence from two U.S. national surveys conducted by the Edweek Research Center in Spring of 2020 already confirm vast disparities, with schools located in lower socioeconomic communities less able to provide access to technology, to reach all students, or to provide

Caregiver-Reported Changes in the Socioemotional Wellbeing and Daily Habits of Children With Special Educational Needs During the First COVID-19 National Lockdown in the United Kingdom

“…These limitations notwithstanding, our findings have implications for supporting families with SEN. Our study showed that poor mental health was an important risk factor of the wellbeing of children with SEN during the pandemic. Mental health lay the foundation from which children and young people can start exploring the learning opportunities available to them (Weisbrot and Ryst, 2020). Therefore, the aims of education post-pandemic should be re-examined and consider the systematic implementation of school-wide and selective evidence-based intervention programs to support the outcomes of children with SEN.…”

Ansiedade em adolescentes no contexto da pandemia por COVID-19

“…A prevenção da ansiedade em adolescentes frente à pandemia por COVID-19 vem ganhando cada vez mais espaço na literatura. Psiquiatras, pediatras e provedores de cuidados primários precisam estar atentos à saúde mental da população de adolescentes, especialmente com ênfase aos sintomas de ansiedade nessa parcela da população e, nesse sentido, intervenções práticas e psicológicas bem estabelecidas podem ajudar a prevenir a ansiedade em adolescentes no contexto de isolamento social durante a pandemia de COVID-19 (Weisbrot, 2020).…”

“…Manter um estilo de vida saudável com contatos sociais e informações sobre onde obter tratamento médico, se necessário, parecem auxiliar os adolescentes a enfrentar melhor as situações e prevenir a ansiedade que possa surgir (Weisbrot, 2020). Courtney (2020) destaca a preponderância em atentar à saúde mental de adolescentes com depressão e ansiedade preexistentes; além de otimizar a intervenção para prevenir os efeitos negativos.…”

“…Courtney (2020) destaca a preponderância em atentar à saúde mental de adolescentes com depressão e ansiedade preexistentes; além de otimizar a intervenção para prevenir os efeitos negativos. Nessa perspectiva, a realização de triagens regulares e intervenções apropriadas são urgentes e necessárias para reduzir o risco de distúrbios emocionais entre adolescentes durante e após os surtos iniciais de COVID-19 (Chen, 2021), onde as escolas também precisam apoiar os professores de forma criativa durante este período sem precedentes (Weisbrot, 2020).…”

Evaluating an ACT-Based Brief Intervention for Educators Treatment Package on Reported Well-Being and ACT-Consistent Language in the Classroom

“…Schools continue to become a critical piece of the mental health system for children and adolescents (Hoover & Bostic, 2020 ). As noted by Weisbrot and Ryst ( 2020 ), the COVID-19 pandemic only intensified the need for mental health supports in schools for students as well as faculty and staff within school settings. To meet these needs, comprehensive systems are needed within schools, which include both school personnel (e.g., educators, school psychologists, social workers, etc.)…”