ERIC Number: EJ1458634
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Feb
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-8405
EISSN: EISSN-1546-8364
Available Date: N/A
Mental Health Interventions in Middle Schools: A 10-Year Review of Research
Elizabeth Anne McKay; Deborah Mattheus; Holly B. Fontenot
Journal of School Nursing, v41 n1 p56-74 2025
Schools can play an important role in addressing growing concerns about adolescent mental health. Mental health of high school students has predominantly been the focus in literature with less emphasis on younger adolescents. This review identified articles published in the last decade that described evaluations of middle school-based mental health interventions and randomized participants to an intervention or control condition. Fourteen interventions met the inclusion criteria. About two-thirds of interventions were based on mindfulness or cognitive behavioral therapy. Many trials utilized racially diverse, low-income samples. All interventions were delivered to groups, and three contained a parent component. Five trials increased rigor by using an active control condition. Almost two-thirds of the interventions were effective (p < 0.10) in reducing at least one depression, anxiety, affect, or internalizing symptom outcome compared to a control group. This article provides information about intervention characteristics, efficacy, theoretical framework, and acceptability/feasibility.
Descriptors: Middle School Students, Early Adolescents, Mental Health, Intervention, Metacognition, Cognitive Restructuring, Behavior Modification, Research Methodology, Program Effectiveness, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), School Nurses
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2993
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Public Health and Science (DHHS), Office of Population Affairs
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: TP2AH0000740100
Author Affiliations: N/A