Citation

Taylor LK, Goldberg MG, Tran MD. Curr. Psychiatry Rep. 2019; 21(9): e82.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, 1941 East Rd, Houston, TX, 77054, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s11920-019-1067-3

PMID

31410584

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: School mental health services have achieved recognition for increased access to care and intervention completion rates. While best practice recommendations include connection of school mental health programming to multi-tiered systems of support that promote early identification and intervention, many schools struggle to operationalize student screening for trauma exposure, trauma symptoms, and service identification. Relatedly, progress monitoring for trauma symptoms, and the effect of trauma on school functioning in the context of catastrophic events, can also be difficult to systematically collect. RECENT FINDINGS: Research regarding the effects of catastrophic events, such as exposure to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, war, or the journey to refugee status on children and youths school functioning, indicates salient age and gender differences among student responses. In addition, school professionals have been identified as sources of social support for students and as potential brokers to school linked intervention resources for children, youth, and their families. Based on our review, we outline recommendations for school professionals, including potential changes to school policies and procedures, and delineate future research questions.

Language: en

Keywords

Childhood trauma; Disaster; Multi-tiered systems of support; School mental health