Pilot Test of an Engagement, Triage, and Brief Intervention Strategy for School Mental Health

Propelling the Global Advancement of School Mental Health

Rates of mental health problems and disorders in children and youth have been increasing for at least three decades, and these have escalated due to the pandemic and multiple other societal stressors. It is increasingly recognized that students and families frequently struggle to receive needed care through traditional locations such as specialty mental health centers. Upstream mental health promotion and prevention strategies are gaining support as a public health approach to supporting overall population well-being, better utilizing a limited specialty workforce, and reducing illness. Based on these recognitions, there has been a progressive and escalating movement toward the delivery of mental health support to children and youth "where they are," with a prominent and more ecologically valid environment being schools. This paper will provide a brief review of the escalating mental health needs of children and youth, advantages of school mental health (SMH) programs in better meeting these needs, example model SMH programs from the United States and Canada, and national and international SMH centers/networks. We conclude with strategies for further propelling the global advancement of the SMH field through interconnected practice, policy, and research.

Effectiveness of a Brief Engagement, Problem-Solving, and Triage Strategy for High School Students: Results of a Randomized Study

Schools offer an advantageous setting for the prevention, early identification, and treatment of mental health problems for youth. However, school mental health (SMH) services are typically not based on evidence for effectiveness, nor are they efficiently delivered, with SMH practitioners (SMHPs) able to only treat a small number of students in need. The current study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, efficiency, and outcomes of a four-session assessment, engagement, problem-solving, and triage strategy for SMHPs that aimed to improve efficiency while being based on elements of evidence-based care. The study, conducted in 15 US school districts in three states, used stratified random assignment to assign 49 high schools and their participating SMHP(s) to either the Brief Intervention for School Clinicians (BRISC; N = 259 students) or services as usual (SAU; N = 198 students). SMHPs implemented BRISC elements with adequate to excellent fidelity and reported the strategy was feasible and well-aligned with presenting problems. Students assigned to BRISC reported significantly greater engagement in SMH at 2 months and completion of SMH treatment by 6 months. BRISC-assigned SMHPs reported significantly greater treatment completion after four sessions (53.4%) compared to SAU (15.4%). Students in the BRISC condition also reported significantly greater reduction in problem severity as evaluated by the Youth Top Problems Assessment. No differences were found for anxiety or depression symptoms or overall functioning. Results indicate that BRISC is a feasible early intervention and triage strategy that may aid in more efficient provision of SMH services with no compromise to SMH effectiveness.

How low can you go? Examining the effects of brief online training and post-training consultation dose on implementation mechanisms and outcomes for measurement-based care

BACKGROUND

Initial training and ongoing post-training consultation (i.e., ongoing support following training, provided by an expert) are among the most common implementation strategies used to change clinician practice. However, extant research has not experimentally investigated the optimal dosages of consultation necessary to produce desired outcomes. Moreover, the degree to which training and consultation engage theoretical implementation mechanisms-such as provider knowledge, skills, and attitudes-is not well understood. This study examined the effects of a brief online training and varying dosages of post-training consultation (BOLT+PTC) on implementation mechanisms and outcomes for measurement-based care (MBC) practices delivered in the context of education sector mental health services.

METHODS

A national sample of 75 clinicians who provide mental health interventions to children and adolescents in schools were randomly assigned to BOLT+PTC or control (services as usual). Those in BOLT+PTC were further randomized to 2-, 4-, or 8-week consultation conditions. Self-reported MBC knowledge, skills, attitudes, and use (including standardized assessment, individualized assessment, and assessment-informed treatment modification) were collected for 32 weeks. Multilevel models were used to examine main effects of BOLT+PTC versus control on MBC use at the end of consultation and over time, as well as comparisons among PTC dosage conditions and theorized mechanisms (skills, attitudes, knowledge).

RESULTS

There was a significant linear effect of BOLT+PTC over time on standardized assessment use (b = .02, p < .01), and a significant quadratic effect of BOLT+PTC over time on individualized assessment use (b = .04, p < .001), but no significant effect on treatment modification. BOLT + any level of PTC resulted in higher MBC knowledge and larger growth in MBC skill over the intervention period as compared to control. PTC dosage levels were inconsistently predictive of outcomes, providing no clear evidence for added benefit of higher PTC dosage.

CONCLUSIONS

Online training and consultation in MBC had effects on standardized and individualized assessment use among clinicians as compared to services as usual with no consistent benefit detected for increased consultation dosage. Continued research investigating optimal dosages and mechanisms of these established implementation strategies is needed to ensure training and consultation resources are deployed efficiently to impact clinician practices.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05041517 . Retrospectively registered on 10 September 2021.

A Brief Online Implicit Bias Intervention for School Mental Health Clinicians

Clinician bias has been identified as a potential contributor to persistent healthcare disparities across many medical specialties and service settings. Few studies have examined strategies to reduce clinician bias, especially in mental healthcare, despite decades of research evidencing service and outcome disparities in adult and pediatric populations. This manuscript describes an intervention development study and a pilot feasibility trial of the Virtual Implicit Bias Reduction and Neutralization Training (VIBRANT) for mental health clinicians in schools-where most youth in the U.S. access mental healthcare. Clinicians (N = 12) in the feasibility study-a non-randomized open trial-rated VIBRANT as highly usable, appropriate, acceptable, and feasible for their school-based practice. Preliminarily, clinicians appeared to demonstrate improvements in implicit bias knowledge, use of bias-management strategies, and implicit biases (as measured by the Implicit Association Test [IAT]) post-training. Moreover, putative mediators (e.g., clinicians' VIBRANT strategies use, IAT D scores) and outcome variables (e.g., clinician-rated quality of rapport) generally demonstrated correlations in the expected directions. These pilot results suggest that brief and highly scalable online interventions such as VIBRANT are feasible and promising for addressing implicit bias among healthcare providers (e.g., mental health clinicians) and can have potential downstream impacts on minoritized youth's care experience.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of a web-based youth mental health service in Australian schools

BACKGROUND

Secondary schools have attempted to address gaps in help-seeking for mental health problems with little success. This trial evaluated the effectiveness of a universal web-based service (Smooth Sailing) for improving help-seeking intentions for mental health problems and other related outcomes among students.

METHODS

A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the 12-week outcomes of the Smooth Sailing service among 1841 students from 22 secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia. Assignment was conducted at the school level. The control condition received school-as-usual. The primary outcome was help-seeking intentions for general mental health problems at 12-weeks post-baseline. Secondary outcomes included help-seeking behaviour, anxiety and depressive symptoms, psychological distress, psychological barriers to help-seeking, and mental health literacy. Data were analysed using mixed linear models. This trial was registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12618001539224).

FINDINGS

At 12-weeks post-baseline, there was a marginal statistical difference in the relative means of help-seeking intentions (effect size=0•10, 95%CI: -0•02-0•21) that favoured the intervention condition. Help-seeking from adults declined in both conditions. There was a greater reduction in the number of students who "needed support for their mental health but were not seeking help" in the intervention condition (OR: 2•08, 95%CI: 1•72-2.27, P<•0001). No other universal effects were found. Participants found the service easy to use and understand; However, low motivation, time, forgetfulness, and lack of perceived need were barriers to use.

INTERPRETATION

Smooth Sailing led to small improvements in help-seeking intentions. Refinements are needed to improve its effectiveness on other mental health outcomes and to increase student uptake and engagement.

FUNDING

HSBC and Graf Foundation.

A Modular, Transdiagnostic Approach to Treating Severe Irritability in Children and Adolescents

Severe irritability is common in treatment-referred youth, often occurring in externalizing, anxiety, and mood conditions. The best available evidence indicates behavioral parent training and cognitive-behavioral therapy as first-line interventions. Modular approaches (eg, MATCH) can package these strategies in a flexible format, facilitating personalization. Ample evidence supports MATCH's effectiveness generally and initial evidence supports its effectiveness for irritability specifically. We provide an overview of MATCH and its application to severe irritability. Emphasis is placed on behavioral parent training as a likely primary/first-line treatment. Potential benefits and limitations are considered. This approach calls for careful clinical judgment and for further empirical research.

Smooth Sailing: A Pilot Study of an Online, School-Based, Mental Health Service for Depression and Anxiety

Background: Schools play an important role in supporting young people's mental health, but face challenges identifying and responding to students in need of care. To assist secondary schools, the Black Dog Institute has developed an online, school-based, mental health service (Smooth Sailing). Delivered in the classroom, Smooth Sailing uses a website to screen, assess, allocate, and deliver care for depression and anxiety. The service is based on the principles of stepped care, offering treatments with varied intensity and follow-up by a school counselor when necessary. The current study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of this new type of service among secondary school students. Methods: Between February and June 2017, a single-arm, pre-post, pilot study was conducted among students from four NSW secondary schools. Schools were given access to the service for 6 weeks. Feasibility measures (consent rates and step allocations), acceptability measures (service use and satisfaction) and safety measures (deterioration in help-seeking intention scores and mental health symptoms) were assessed at baseline and completion of the 6-week trial period. Results: A total of 59 students took part in the service pilot (mean age, 14.57 years; SD, 0.89 years; range, 13-16 years). At baseline, 18.64% of students were found to require follow-up from the school counselor, and 80% of these were new cases. Although completion of the online modules was low, service satisfaction was high. At 6 weeks, the mean scores for help-seeking, depression, and anxiety remained relatively stable or improved. Conclusions: The current study presents important findings for the development and implementation of an online mental health service that screens students' mental health and allocates care accordingly, all within the school setting. Although the findings provide some support for the feasibility, acceptability, and safety, service improvements are needed. The modifications outlined are likely to improve the quality of the service and its effectiveness. Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12617000977370.