Mental Health Training Programs for Secondary School Teachers: A Systematic Review Abstract This review aimed to examine the effectiveness of mental health training programs designed to improve the knowledge, attitudes, or helping behaviour of secondary school teachers for adolescent depression, anxiety, and related mental health problems. A systematic search strategy was conducted using electronic databases and hand search procedures. Eight studies met inclusion criteria, representing six unique training programs. All eight studies reported an improvement in mental health knowledge (d = 0.57–3.1) and attitudes (d = 0.36–1.18) at post-intervention. There was little evidence that the included training programs improved teachers’ helping behaviour or students’ mental health. There was no evidence to suggest that these training programs alleviated mental health problems among teachers themselves. Only two studies were conducted as randomised controlled trials. The findings suggest there may be value in providing mental health training to teachers; however, there is an urgent need for more rigorous research to determine which, if any, programs can alter teacher behaviour or improve student outcomes for mental health.

The Effectiveness of the Children’s Emotional Adjustment Scale (CEAS) in Screening for Mental Health Problems in Middle Childhood Abstract The study examined the screening effectiveness of the Children’s Emotional Adjustment Scale (CEAS), a parent-reported scale that measures the emotional competence of children across four continuous factors (temper control, mood repair, anxiety control, social assertiveness) anchored in adaptive child behaviors, characteristics and skills that are vital to healthy social-emotional development and adjustment of children. Mothers of 1071 school students aged 6–12 years reported on their children’s emotional functioning on the CEAS. In addition, mothers answered the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, as well as the generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder subscales of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale—Parent Version, which served as indicators of mental health problems to be targeted in the analysis. Area under the curve estimates ranged from .56 to .94, and sensitivity and specificity rates were .59–.93, and .55–.83, respectively. Temper control evidenced the greatest accuracy relative to overall mental health problems, externalizing problem and depression problems. Mood repair was most accurate in detecting overall mental health problems, internalizing problems and depression problems. Anxiety control was most efficient in detecting anxiety problems and internalizing problems. Social assertiveness was most sensitive in identifying internalizing problems. The findings suggest that the CEAS may be of value in early population-based screening. The instrument provides developmentally appropriate and actionable information on the emotional competence of all mainstream children on broad factors underlying both healthy and unhealthy social-emotional development, which can inform preventive interventions and treatment of common mental health problems in school-aged children.

Contribution of the Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools to ADHD Assessment Abstract Classroom observations have long been considered a necessary component of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) evaluations. Yet, research evaluating the utility of observational ratings in ADHD assessment is limited. This study examined the contributions of the Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools (BOSS) to ADHD assessment by investigating associations between BOSS scores with ADHD symptom clusters and symptoms of frequently co-occurring externalizing and internalizing disorders. The utility of BOSS scores in predicting future ADHD-related impairment beyond standard parent and teacher ratings was also examined. One hundred and thirty-five children in grades 2–5 across 23 public schools participated in a randomized controlled trial examining a psychosocial treatment for ADHD. BOSS ratings were collected at baseline. Parent and teacher ratings of child symptoms and impairment were collected at baseline, post-treatment (3–4 months later), and follow-up (8–12 months later). Multiple regressions investigated the associations between the BOSS subscale of Task Engagement (TE) and parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms and related disorders. Multi-level modeling accounted for school cluster effects. Results showed that lower BOSS TE was related to higher teacher-rated inattention but not hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms. Lower BOSS TE was also associated with higher teacher-rated Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and depression symptoms, but not anxiety symptoms. Further, BOSS TE predicted higher future impairment beyond baseline teacher and parent ratings of ADHD symptoms and impairment, controlling for treatment. The BOSS appears sensitive to symptoms of child inattention, ODD, and depression, and may have utility in informing future impairment beyond standard informant ratings of ADHD.

Discrimination Matters: Relations of Perceived Discrimination to Student Mental Health Abstract Although instances of discrimination are increasing across US schools, little is known about the relations of discrimination to mental health outcomes across the full range of school ages or how experiences of discrimination interact with various sociodemographic characteristics. This study entailed analysis of data from approximately 60,700 respondents to the 2011–2012 National Survey of Children’s Health to explore the associations between racial/ethnic discrimination and depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder for children and youth ages 6–17. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that experiencing racial discrimination was associated with significantly increased odds of having a range of mental health problems including depression, anxiety problems, and behavior disorders. Moreover, an interaction effect was observed between discrimination, race, and anxiety. No interactions were observed for variables related to age groupings. Implications for school-based mental health practitioners and researchers are discussed.

Shifting Teacher Practice in Trauma-Affected Classrooms: Practice Pedagogy Strategies Within a Trauma-Informed Positive Education Model Abstract This study explored how primary and secondary school teachers changed their practice pedagogy as they underwent training in trauma-informed positive education (Brunzell et al., Contemp School Psychol 20:63–83, 2016b. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-015-0070-x). TIPE integrates teaching strategies from two practice paradigms: trauma-informed education and positive education in order to educate vulnerable students who struggle in school due to trauma histories from abuse, neglect and/or violence. Over the course of 1 year, teachers (N = 18) co-designed and/or adapted TIPE through an iterative procedure of appreciative inquiry participatory action research. The aim was to strengthen teacher capacities in order to assist their students to overcome classroom-based adversity and to bolster their learning. This study privileged teachers’ phenomenological experience of TIPE by investigating the experiential aspects of planning for and implementing curriculum and classroom management. Two emergent themes were found in the qualitative data: (1) increasing relational capacity and (2) increasing psychological resources. These results were analysed through contemporary frames of teacher practice, which revision the purpose of teacher practice as a set of practice challenges to better assist teachers in educating their vulnerable student cohorts.

An Empirical Approach to Complete Mental Health Classification in Adolescents Abstract Using latent profile analysis (LPA), this study empirically identified dual-factor mental health subtypes, with a goal of examining structural stability of emerging latent classes over three high school years. Profiles’ relations with distal indicators of well-being, psychosocial distress, and self-reported grades were examined to explore the validity of emerging classes. A sample of 332 high school students reported on their social–emotional strengths and psychological distress during the fall term of their ninth-, tenth-, and eleventh-grade years. In Grade 12, students reported on measures assessing their grades and social–emotional experiences. Independent LPAs for each grade year yielded four mental health subtypes—complete mental health, moderately mentally healthy, symptomatic but content, and troubled—and provided evidence for the structural stability of the dual-factor mental health construct. Across high school years, most students were in the complete or moderately mentally healthy classes, with the troubledclass consistently representing the smallest proportion of the sample. Students in classes with higher levels of strengths and lower levels of distress reported higher grades, prosocial contribution to community, and higher life satisfaction, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Implications and future directions for research and school-based practice are discussed.

Understanding the Organizational Implementation Context of Schools: A Qualitative Study of School District Administrators, Principals, and Teachers Abstract Key features of the school environment can have a significant impact on teachers’ effective use of evidence-based practices (EBP), yet implementation-specific organizational constructs have rarely been studied in the education sector. This study examined three aspects of the organizational implementation context (implementation leadership, climate, and citizenship behavior), which have been conceptualized and validated in other service settings. Focus groups with central office administrators, principals, and teachers were conducted to understand the applicability and conceptual boundaries of these organizational constructs in schools. Focus group transcripts were coded, and the results indicated both similarities and differences in their conceptualizations of implementation leadership, climate, and citizenship behavior in school. The data indicated that: (1) implementation leadership was largely present in schools with the addition of Distributed Leadership; (2) two implementation climate constructs were most clearly present (i.e., Focus on EBP and Educational Support for EBP) and two additional constructs (i.e., Existing Support to Deliver EBP and Prioritization of EBP) emerged as part of this construct; and (3) implementation citizenship behavior (Helping Others and Keeping Informed) was consistently acknowledged across schools and two new components emerged (i.e., Information Sharing and Observation/Feedback). Recommendations to researchers and community stakeholders are discussed.

Leadership and School Social Work in the USA: A Qualitative Assessment Abstract School social workers provide unique insight into the biopsychosocial factors that influence students and overall well-being. Social work training in the person-in-environment perspective offers a unique understanding of issues within the school environment, making them ideal professionals to lead holistic, interdisciplinary response options and programs that help foster positive school climates and student success. However, current research suggests there is little information about what school social work practice actually looks like in the schools and how this practice is consistent with leadership roles and tasks. The purpose of this study is to examine school social work leadership in today’s schools. A sample of school social work practitioners across the USA (N = 375) provided a response to the question: “In what ways do you provide leadership within your school setting?” An inductive, thematic study was conducted to determine the aspects of leadership in which school social workers engage in most. Using coding procedures, three salient themes of leadership emerged: (1) increasing training and services; (2) focusing on school–community partnerships; and (3) advocating for policy and school structural changes that affect school safety. Findings from this study build upon past research and suggest that efforts to prepare and improve current leadership skills for school social workers are warranted. Implications for student education and social work programs are discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Rasch Analysis of the Emotional and Behavioral Screener Abstract The present study examined the measurement properties of the Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS), a universal screening instrument which identifies students presenting with emotional and behavioral problems. The primary research questions sought to examine the degree to which the EBS item responses fit the Rasch model through evaluating fit of item responses to the Rasch model and item-measure correlations. The sample consisted of K-12 students with emotional disturbance (n = 1138) and with no identified disabilities (n = 1096). Students were rated by their teachers on the 10-item EBS. The findings suggested the EBS possesses favorable measurement properties such that most items had (1) overall good fit to the Rasch model, (2) a few items across age/gender that assess internalizing problems were found to be somewhat problematic, (3) the item hierarchy was found to align with logical and theoretical expectations, and (4) teachers endorsed the response options in a reliable and predictive manner with response categories mostly being distinguishable from one another. Overall, the results justify the interpretations and decisions made with the EBS scores.

Adolescent Test Anxiety: An Examination of Intraindividual and Contextual Predictors Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine intrapersonal and contextual variables in relation to test anxiety among adolescents. Participants (n = 297) were students (male = 165; female = 132) in grades seven (n = 120) and eight (n = 177) from a public, suburban, middle school in the Midwest. All seventh and eighth graders at the participating school were invited to participate via information sheets mailed out to their families. The suburban middle school from which participants were sampled was chosen because of the school district’s reputation of high academic demand and its relative closeness to U.S. census information. Parents could opt their adolescent out of the study by contacting the examiners. All student responses were gathered in the form of questionnaires administered at the school campus. Academic self-concept was not found to mediate the relation between academic performance (as measured by GPA) and test anxiety. Effortful control and perceived threat of tests were found to significantly predict test anxiety in the sample. School climate, however, was not found to be a significant predictor. Implications for school psychologists are discussed. The study provides support for the importance of intrapersonal variables in predicting test anxiety among adolescents.