June 4, 2004 - Pediatrics Academy Urges School-Based Mental Health Services

More than 20 percent of children and adolescents have mental health problems, and school-based programs offer the promise of improving access to diagnosis and treatment of those problems, according to a position statement released this month by the Committee on School Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The committee urged pediatric health care professionals, educators, and mental health specialists to collaborate to develop three tiers of school-based mental health services, including (1) preventive programs and services for all students, such as curricula that decrease risk-taking behaviors; (2) targeted services for students who have identified mental health needs but can function in school activities if given support; and (3) multidisciplinary services to children who are diagnosed with severe mental health problems. The policy statement, "School-Based Mental Health Services," appears in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.