Statistics Released on School Services
One-fifth of students receive some type of school-supported
mental health services during the school year, according
to a new national survey released by SAMHSA.
Elementary, middle, and high schools all cite social,
interpersonal, or family problems as the most frequent
mental health problems for students.
The report, School
Mental Health Services in the United States, 2002-2003,
provides the first national survey of mental health services
in a representative sample of the approximately 83,000
public elementary, middle, and high schools and their
associated school districts in the United States.
Mental health services were defined as those services
and supports delivered to individual students who have
been referred and identified as having psychosocial or
mental health problems.
"Taking action to address childhood mental health
problems now can save lives, especially when school personnel
work with parents to identify children and intervene
appropriately before they develop significant problems,"
said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W.
Topics explored in the survey include mental health
problems encountered in school settings; mental health
services that schools are delivering; numbers and qualifications
of school staff providing mental health services; types
of arrangements for delivering mental health services
in schools, including collaboration with community-based
providers; and major sources of funding for school mental
health services.
Findings include:
Virtually all schools reported having at least
one staff member whose responsibilities included providing
mental health services to students. The most common types of school mental health
providers were school counselors, followed by nurses,
school psychologists, and social workers. School nurses
spent approximately one-third of their time providing
mental health services.
For a print copy, contact SAMHSA's National Mental Health
Information Center at 1 (800) 789-2647. To download an
online copy of this publication, visit SAMHSA's Web site
at www.mentalhealth.samhsa.
gov/publications/allpubs/sma05-4068.
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