High school athletes are not immune to mental health challenges. The persistent lack of state or national mental health guidelines for athletes has impacted high school athletes' abilities to access and apply resources in a mentally healthy manner. This can impact not only a high school athlete's career but can leave lasting effects on collegiate…

This study is a process evaluation of an adolescent-focused intervention of the USAID Communication for Healthy Communities program, in Uganda. We used mixed methods including observation, consultations and review of program documents to collect data on program coverage, reach and factors influencing implementation. Findings show that program…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability affecting 1 in 44 children nationally. Timely referral to intervention and support services for ASD has consistently demonstrated significant long-term positive effects on symptoms and subsequent skills and family outcomes. This paper highlights a novel and innovative approach of…

This article outlines the outcomes of a specialized master's of social work (MSW) training program on students' (N=96) ability to work effectively in behavioral health care settings with adolescents and transitional age youth from diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. Program design, curriculum development, and associated activities…

Objective: To examine short-term (i.e., post-intervention) outcomes from a randomized controlled trial comparing a school-based telehealth-delivered depression prevention program, Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST), to services as usual (SAU). We expected IPT-AST would be acceptable and feasible and that IPT-AST…

This manuscript provides a detailed examination of comprehensive school-based dialectical behavior therapy (CSB-DBT) as a critical component to the DBT services continuum provided in schools. Because suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents along with increased prevalence of self-harming behavior, schools often find…

Purpose: This study is a formative evaluation of an adolescent online e-cigarette prevention program (Clearing the Vapor) giving attention to identifying higher risk adolescent populations, confirming the theory of change, and assessing short-term outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: The evaluation was conducted using online pre-test and…

Smoking education and prevention campaigns have had marked success in reducing rates of tobacco use among adolescents, however, disparities in use continue to exist. It is critical to assess if adolescents at risk for tobacco use are being exposed to antitobacco campaigns. We used data from Wave 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health…

Objective: School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a national surveillance system operated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A school-based system of surveys, Profiles monitors school health policies and practices in US states and other jurisdictions through questionnaires completed by school principals and lead health education…

Teachers contribute to the process of identifying and referring students for mental health services, however, relatively little is known about how they make those decisions and how decision-making differs across school contexts. This study used a vignette-based method to investigate individual and school contextual factors associated with the…

School based mental health interventions provide a promising treatment pathway for a variety of mental health concerns. They can be provided on a wide scale to students with a variety of presenting concerns, and allow access to needed services where barriers may otherwise prevent treatment. A majority of the existing literature on this topic has…

Much of the literature linking adversity to trauma fails to account for racialized experiences, including racial-ethnic discrimination, which is a highly prevalent form of adversity for youth of color in the U.S. Adversity and trauma often result in students experiencing elevated rule-breaking behaviors, exacerbating existing racial-ethnic…

Throughout the migratory process, unaccompanied minors from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras--countries known as the Northern Triangle of Central America--are at great risk for exposure to adverse experiences, loss, and stressors that can have negative consequences on their mental health and well-being. Although the limited research with…

About 16.5% of school-aged children had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder in the United States in 2016. The most common mental health disorders among children include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. This report describes the percentage of U.S. children aged 5-17 years who have taken…

Objective: This longitudinal study investigated the predictors of and changes in psychological trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Participants included 236 adolescents (130 males; M age = 16.74 years in spring 2020; 49.6% diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; 16.1% diagnosed with an anxiety or depressive disorder) in…