The Behavioral Health Needs of Children and Youth Often Go Unmet
Nationwide, 13% of young people between the ages of 8 and 15 suffer from at least one mental health disorder.(1) Among adolescents, the need is even greater: one in five adolescents experiences significant symptoms of emotional distress, with half of that group experiencing resulting emotional impairment.(2) The most common mental health concerns among American adolescents are depression, anxiety disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and substance abuse.(3)
In California, 17% of adolescents need help for emotional or mental health problems, but only 11% receive some form of counseling.(4) The mental health access gap is even wider for adolescents who are living in poverty.(5)
Unfortunately, research shows that unmet behavioral health needs adversely impact educational outcomes. Students with behavioral health problems are more likely to experience school difficulties, including more absenteeism, higher rates of suspension and expulsion, lower grades and test scores, and greater high school dropout.(6)
School-Based Health Centers Address Behavioral Health Needs
School-based health centers (SBHCs) increase access to high-quality behavioral health services, particularly for students who have the greatest need for these services. Even more importantly, SBHC behavioral health services improve critical outcomes for children with behavioral health needs. More specifically, recent research shows that:
- SBHCs increase access to mental health services.(7,8)
- Students with serious mental health problems are more likely to access services in an SBHC than in other settings.(9)
- SBHC mental health services can improve users’ “health-related quality of life.”(10)
- SBHC mental health services can be more efficacious than those provided in community settings.(11)
Resources for Practice
For tools that will help you start and run school behavioral health programs, see Behavioral Health Resources.
Citations
(1) Merikangas, K.R., He, J-P., Burstein, M., Swanson, S.A., et al. (2010). Lifetime Prevalence of Mental Disorders in U.S. Adolescents: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication–Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 49(10): 980-989.
(2) Knopf, D., Park, M.J., & Mulye, T.P. (2008). The Mental Health of Adolescents: A National Profile, 2008. National Adolescent Health Information Center. Available at: http://nahic.ucsf.edu/downloads/MentalHealthBrief.pdf.
(3) Knopf et al.
(4) California Health Interview Survey, 2005.
(5) California Health Interview Survey, 2005.
(6) Kataoka, S.H., Rowan, B., & Hoagwood, K.E. (2009). Bridging the Divide: In Search of Common Ground in Mental Health and Education Research and Policy. Psychiatric Services. 60(11): 1510-1515.
(7) Guo, J.J., Wade, T.J., & Keller, K.N. (2008). Impact of School-Based Health Centers on Students with Mental Health Problems. Public Health Reports. 123: 768-780.
(8) Amaral, G., Geierstanger, S., Soleimanpour, S., & Brindis, C. (2011). Mental Health Characteristics and Health-Seeking Behaviors of Adolescent School-Based Health Center Users and Non-Users. Journal of School Health. 81(3): 138-145.
(9) Amaral et al.
(10) Guo et al.
(11) Daniel, P.I.D. (2008). Treatment Efficacy of School-Based Mental Health Clinics as Compared to Community-Based Mental Health Clinics. Dissertation, Northcentral University School of Psychology.
