School based post disaster mental health services: decreased trauma symptoms in youth with multiple traumas

Children exposed to disasters are at an increased likelihood for multiple trauma exposure. The objective of our study is to understand the efficacy of post disaster school based services for reducing trauma symptoms of youth exposed to multiple traumatic events. Students (N = 112) age 8–17 that were survivors of Hurricane Katrina received individual treatment for multiple traumas on site at school. We used repeated measures ANOVA to investigate the effectiveness in self-reported trauma symptoms over time. Results indicated significant reduction in overall posttraumatic stress symptoms as well as subscales assessing anxiety, anger, depression, dissociation, overt dissociation, and fantasy dissociation. The school based services for students with multiple traumas were effective at reducing trauma symptoms following disaster.     

Adapting the Pynoos School Based Group Therapy Model for Use with Foster Children: Theoretical and Process Considerations

Children who enter foster care are removed from their homes, their families, and everything else that is familiar. They are then placed with strangers. Once protective services are initiated, separation from biological parents is likely to further traumatize these children, even if they had previously been neglected and/or abused. As a result, foster children experience trauma on multiple levels. Trauma experiences are often enacted behaviorally in ways that disrupt the children's capacity to learn as well as their peer relationships at school. Accordingly, it seems logical to provide school based services that address specific manifestations of trauma related behavior.Robert Pynoos has developed a model for work with children who have experienced trauma. The model includes individual and group counseling, a mentor for the children and group counseling for the parents. This paper discusses an adaptation of the model's school based group component, specifically designed to address the emotional, social and by implication, the educational needs of children who were currently, or had recently lived in out-of-home foster placements. The group was conducted in an inner city elementary school with a large enrollment of at-risk children.     

School violence: effective response protocols for maximum safety and minimum liability

Despite the recent preoccupation with terrorism, most Americans are still killed by our own citizens, and school violence continues to be a significant source of mortality and trauma. This article describes the basic facts, features, and dynamics of school violence and presents a prevention, response, and recovery protocol adapted from the related field of workplace violence. This model may be used by educators, law enforcement professionals, and mental health clinicians in their collaborative efforts to make our academic institutions safer and healthier places to learn.     

On Latent School Refusal in Junior High School

Abstract: School refusal is a grave social problem for adolescents, their families, schools andsociety in Japan today as well as other developed countries. We researched the mentality of junior high school pupils about their feelings or moods toward school attendance with a set of questionnaires in order to know how much they were oppressed by daily schoolattendance.
From such a viewpoint, we tried the questionnaire program at seven public junior highschools in a small city in the suburbs that developed rapidly and located not far away from a big city. We selected our subjects at random from one class out of each grade of each junior high school. The number of the subject pupils was 838: 429 boys and 409 girls. We postulated that the latent school refusals were those who answered all "yes" to three items which was always the case by school refusals in our climical experience. We found 117 latent school refusals out of the 838: 65 boys and 52 girls.
We considered three factors–problems concerning school, family and other daily activities.
From our research, we recognize that there are many pupils attending school with the possibility of them becoming dropouts (14.0%). Their mentality is characteristic of school refusal itself while they attend school almost everyday. We clinicians should be aware of the social structure and make every effort to secure the healthy development of adolescents.     

Adolescent Obesity and School Performance and Perceptions of the School Environment Among Minnesota High School Students

This study examined associations between adolescent obesity and school performance and perceptions of the social environment and safety at school. Data are from the Minnesota Student Survey (n = 87,468 students) which was administered statewide in the spring of 2007. Student’s responses to questions about grades achieved in school, skipping school, future school plans, and perceptions of the social environment and safety in school were analyzed in relation to their weight status using logistic regression and general linear modeling. Overweight and obese adolescents were significantly less likely to plan to go to college; more likely to report skipping school because of fears of safety, lower academic grades, an individualized education plan, and negative perceptions about the social environment and safety in school than non-overweight students (all p < .001). Study findings can help guide school and other health professionals’ assessment and intervention strategies to improve the quality of life for overweight and obese youth.     

Youth Responses to School Shootings: a Review

Purpose of Review

This paper aims to synthesize research relating to youth responses to school shootings between 2014 and 2017. The main questions it addresses are how such events impact young people psychologically, and what risk or protective factors may contribute to different trajectories of recovery?

Recent Findings

Recent research suggests that most young people exposed to school shootings demonstrate resilience, exhibiting no long-term dysfunction. However, a minority will experience severe and chronic symptoms. The likelihood of experiencing clinically significant reactions is influenced by pre-trauma functioning as well as peri-traumatic and post-traumatic factors. These include proximity to the trauma, peri-traumatic dissociation, post-traumatic emotional regulation difficulties, social support, and flexibility of coping styles.

Summary

Research that separates the distinguishing features of young people with differing recovery styles is vital to tailor intervention. But methodological and design issues associated with such research necessitates caution in drawing conclusions. Variation in definitions and measures and the self-report nature of many of the studies are potential sources of bias. Greater uniformity across designs would enhance confidence and allow for improved evidence-based intervention.

     

No Treatment Day School

At the No Treatment Day School, less than 15% of students used the dormitory during the school week. Located in the heart of a reservation and serving local students, the K-12 school enrolled over 1,000 students. The site received Therapeutic Residential Model funding for the 2001-2002 school year. Initial evaluation of this site found an array of daunting problems throughout the school structure and functioning. There were some successes, including implementation of the Morningside reading program in the elementary school and some response from the community to the comprehensive evaluation report which provided an overview of the situation to policy-makers and community members. However instability in the system and a mid-year change in leadership complicated the process of implementation. By the end of the first year, it was clear that the feasibility of the original proposal was questionable and that an overhaul of the school's system and culture was necessary before a Therapeutic Residential Model could be implemented or significant change could come about. Therapeutic Residential Model funding was terminated at the end of the school year. As there was no substantial implementation of a Therapeutic Residential Model program, data gathered were utilized as representing a naturally occurring control or minimal treatment site.     

School refusal in anxiety-disordered children and adolescents

The characteristics of anxiety-based school refusal were examined in 63 school refusing children and adolescents referred to an outpatient anxiety disorder clinic. Patients were assessed on sociodemographic, diagnostic, and personality variables, as well as familial history of school refusal. Results suggest that there are two primary diagnostic "subgroups" of school refusers--separation anxious and phobic. Phobic school refusers had a later age of onset and showed more pervasive (severe) school refusal than separation anxious school refusers. By contrast, separation anxious school refusers were more likely than phobic school refusers to have mothers who had a history of school refusal problems. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Towards School Mental Health in Nigeria: Baseline Knowledge and Attitudes of Elementary School Teachers

There is a shortage of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) professionals all over the world, and this shortage is especially critical in most parts of the developing world. Schools have been identified as ideal settings to reach needy children in the community, and training teachers in CAMH issues can help improve early identification and appropriate referrals of children with mental health problems. As part of a needs assessment for developing a training programme, selected Nigerian elementary school teachers were asked to complete confidential questionnaires to determine their perceptions of mental health problems in school children. Teachers indicated that they had no previous CAMH training. Baseline assessments revealed that teachers' knowledge of CAMH was deficient, and attitudes to children with mental health problems revealed intolerance. Incorporation of CAMH care into teacher education curricula is a critical next step towards integrating school teachers as mental health collaborators in school mental health programmes in Nigeria.     

Relationships Between School Climate Dimensions and Adolescents’ School Life Satisfaction,Academic Satisfaction and Perceived Popularity Within a Chinese Context

The first part of this study explored the association between school climate and students’ well-being (i.e., school life satisfaction, academic satisfaction and perceived popularity) within the Chinese school context. Two hundred and twenty-one secondary school students in Hong Kong participated in this exploratory study. Due to the lack of culturally relevant instruments, school climate was measured with an adapted instrument that was evaluated by factor analyses. Findings revealed six dimensions of school climate, including positive student–teacher relationships, school order and environment, perceived academic competence, perceived privileges, learning interests and academic support. Preliminary results obtained from multiple regression analyses indicated that the dimension of school order and environment significantly predicted school life satisfaction. Perceived academic competence predicted not only academic satisfaction, but also perceived popularity. However, perceived privilege, learning interests and academic support were negatively related to school life satisfaction and perceived popularity. Interestingly, positive student–teacher relationships did not significantly predict overall well-being. The second part of this study adopted a qualitative approach to explore school climate in relation to well-being from students’ perspectives. The findings showed that learning-related issues, such as learning difficulties, were major contributors to students’ well-being. The findings are discussed from a cultural standpoint to inform educational practices and directions for future research.     

The Family School System

Summary

It is argued that a focus on the home-school system is critical in working from a Structural/Strategic approach to child school problems. The Structural/ Strategic conception of these types of problems is presented with a focus on three areas of difference between home and school subsystems that are likely generators of problems: beliefs, structure, and developmental adaptation. Techniques for assessment and intervention are presented.     

Adolescents in Transition: School and Family Characteristics in the Development of Violent Behaviors Entering High School

Adolescents are vulnerable to becoming involved in problematic behaviors, disengaging academically, and dropping out of school. This study was designed to evaluate the protective role of self-perceived school attachment and family involvement on the development of these negative behaviors during adolescence. The Social and Health Assessment (SAHA) survey was conducted among 652 predominantly minority, inner-city adolescents during their transition from middle to high school in order to examine school attachment, perceived teacher support, parental control, and exposure to community violence as predictors of engagement in violent activities, development of aggressive beliefs, perception of school climate, and academic motivation one year later. Family and school factors appeared to be differentially associated with the negative outcomes. School attachment was associated with lower levels of violent delinquency and aggressive beliefs, as well as with academic motivation. Perceived teacher support was associated with positive perceptions of school climate and with academic motivation. Parental control was associated with lower levels of violent activity and with higher levels of academic motivation. Violence exposure was related to violent delinquency and negative perception of school climate. School attachment, teacher support, parental control, and violence exposure must all be incorporated into school reform efforts intended to break the inner city cycle of violence.     

The State of School Social Work: Findings from the National School Social Work Survey

School social work is a large and growing subspecialty in social work practice; however, little is known about present school social work practice from a national perspective. The National School Social Work Survey (n = 1,639) represents the first data in over ten years to describe the diverse practice contexts and interventions employed by school social workers. The survey also seeks to better understand school social work practice in light of the significant educational reforms of the past decade that are increasingly shaping student experiences. Findings from this survey indicate that the characteristics of school social workers, the context in which they practice, and their practice choices remain largely unchanged over the past 10 years. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed based on these findings.     

Helping Students Heal: Observations of Trauma-Informed Practices in the Schools

From the city streets of New Haven, Connecticut, the rural mountains of Appalachia, and the heart of San Francisco, students across the nation are coming to school with traumatic histories that are greatly impacting their school performance. Schools are recognizing the impact of trauma and beginning to adopt trauma-informed practices. When school systems approach students through a trauma lens, they are better equipped to provide the educational and social–emotional supports necessary to help students reach their potential. The following commentary reviews the implementation efforts of three different trauma-informed school programs and their use of the multitiered interventions to address the differing needs of trauma-exposed students. Implications for future directions are addressed, including the need for support for more intensive educator professional development.     

Mental Health and School Functioning for Girls in the Child Welfare System: the Mediating Role of Future Orientation and School Engagement

This study investigated the association between mental health problems and academic and behavioral school functioning for adolescent girls in the child welfare system and determined whether school engagement and future orientation meditated the relationship. Participants were 231 girls aged between 12 and 19 who had been involved with the child welfare system. Results indicated that 39% of girls reported depressive symptoms in the clinical range and 54% reported posttraumatic symptoms in the clinical range. The most common school functioning problems reported were failing a class (41%) and physical fights with other students (35%). Participants reported a mean number of 1.7 school functioning problems. Higher levels of depression and PTSD were significantly associated with more school functioning problems. School engagement fully mediated the relationship between depression and school functioning and between PTSD and school functioning, both models controlling for age, race, and placement stability. Future orientation was not significantly associated with school functioning problems at the bivariate level. Findings suggest that school engagement is a potentially modifiable target for interventions aiming to ameliorate the negative influence of mental health problems on school functioning for adolescent girls with histories of abuse or neglect.     

School refusal: graduated and rapid behavioural treatment strategies

School refusal is a complex phenomenon that has been subject to definitional and diagnostic confusion. The aetiology of school refusal remains incompletely understood; heterogeneity rather than homogeneity prevails. In the behaviour management of school refusal, the clinician may plan either a gradual or rapid school return. Although a graduated return to school may be necessary in certain cases, secondary complications are minimized by an immediate return to school. Both graduated and rapid treatment require a flexible and integrative approach drawing on classical, operant and vicarious conditioning principles. Little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of the behavioural management of school refusal, as well as psychological adjustment to school.     

Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools (HEARTS): A Whole-School,Multi-level,Prevention and Intervention Program for Creating Trauma-Informed,Safe and Supportive Schools

The University of California, San Francisco’s Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools (HEARTS) Program promotes school success for trauma-impacted students through a whole-school approach utilizing the response to intervention multi-tiered framework. Tier 1 involves school-wide universal supports to change school cultures into learning environments that are more safe, supportive and trauma-informed. Tier 2 involves capacity building with school staff to facilitate the incorporation of a trauma-informed lens into the development of supports for at-risk students, school-wide concerns and disciplinary procedures. Tier 3 involves intensive interventions for students suffering from the impact of trauma. Program evaluation questions were: (1) Was there an increase in school personnel’s knowledge about addressing trauma and in their use of trauma-sensitive practices? (2) Was there an improvement in students’ school engagement? (3) Was there a decrease in behavioral problems associated with loss of students’ instructional time due to disciplinary measures taken? (4) Was there a decrease in trauma-related symptoms in students who received HEARTS therapy? Results indicate preliminary support for the effectiveness of the HEARTS program for each of the evaluation questions examined, suggesting that a whole-school, multi-tiered approach providing support at the student, school personnel and system levels can help mitigate the effects of trauma and chronic stress. Key areas for further studies include (a) an examination of data across more HEARTS schools that includes comparison control schools and (b) disaggregating disciplinary data by race and ethnicity to determine whether disproportionality in the meting out of disciplinary actions is reduced.     

Student-Report Measures of School Climate: A Dimensional Review

School climate is a broad, multi-dimensional construct that represents the quality and character of school life. Although many student-reported measures of school climate are available, less is known about the specific dimensions assessed by various measures. Using three comprehensive models of school climate as a guide, a systematic literature review of school climate measurement tools was conducted with two main questions. First, which dimensions are identified and measured in published studies of student-reported school climate? Second, what overlap in studies of student-reported school climate measures exist with the model dimensions? Results from the review of 18 school climate measures largely supported five dimensions (safety, relationships, teaching and learning, institutional environment, and school improvement processes) with at least three dimensions present within all reviewed measures. The discussion elaborates on the dimensions and sub-dimensions assessed in these tools, implications for failing to measure the sub-dimension of respect for diversity, and a new sub-dimension titled academic orientation that emerged from overlap in measurement tools.