تاثیر خدمات درمانی روحی و روانی در مدرسه برای کودکان ابتدایی: یک متاآنالیز The Effectiveness of School-Based Mental Health Services for Elementary-Aged Children: A Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION By adolescence, approximately 30-40% of youth in the US will have been diagnosed with at least one mental disorder.1-3 The majority of these disorders onset early in life, with the median ages of onset for anxiety, behavior, and mood disorders occurring prior to age 14.4 Left untreated, mental disorders first appearing during the elementary school years tend to persist2 and are associated with considerable problems in adolescence and adulthood, including impaired social functioning, suicidality, substance misuse, criminality, reduced educational and occupational attainment, and quality of life.5-10 Accordingly, effective prevention and early intervention during the elementary school years are critical. Despite progress in the development and evaluation of efficacious treatments for child mental health problems,11,12 less than half of affected youth receive mental health care.13,14 The situation is particularly concerning for racial and ethnic minority children who receive fewer and poorer quality mental health services relative to their non-Latino White peers.15-18 Given problems and disparities in the accessibility and utilization of clinic-based child mental health treatment, educators and school staff have assumed frontline mental health provider roles for affected children, with over half of youth who seek services receiving them in school-based settings.13,19-21 School-based mental health services may reduce persistent disparities in mental health need or service utilization, as they are more accessible than community-based services and are perceived as more acceptable by families.15,20,22 Indeed, youth referred to school-based services are more likely than youth referred to community-based services to successfully engage in and attend at least three or more sessions.23 Educational policies have further prioritized the integration of children’s mental health services in school settings.