This study explored the relationship between mental health, i.e., depression and anxiety, and reading difficulties (RD) in Chinese elementary school children. Participants were 1535 grades 3, 4, and 5 students from three elementary schools in Xi'an, China. Children with and without RD were compared to their depression and anxiety. Additionally,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the parent-report Short Form Positive Family Support Strengths and Needs Assessment (PFS-SaNA). The PFS-SaNA is designed to reduce the time and burden of collaborative mental health screening. Parents of 245 students in the Northwest completed the screener at third, fourth,…

Interest in the applications of mindfulness practice in education is growing in the scientific community. Recent research has shown that mindfulness practice in schools may be beneficial for executive functions (EFs) which are abilities crucial for healthy development. The study of the effects of mindfulness practices on children's neural…

Children spend much of the day in the classroom with their teachers and peers. There is an alarming growth rate of mental health issues in young children that do not usually present themselves until adolescence. Educators must now examine what can be done to remedy social and emotional problems in elementary-aged children. The problem addressed in…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a school nurse-led mindfulness program in a public school. Elementary students in an urban public school system are exposed to many stressors including poverty, family disturbances, and mental health conflicts. Previous research suggests that mindfulness interventions given by teachers…

The COVID-19 pandemic has negative effects on children, adolescents, and adults. Despite these effects, information about the nature of mental health concerns and services provided to address these concerns by elementary school counselors is unknown. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to examine mental health concerns elementary…

Mental health, social-emotional disparity, and the woes of not self-regulating or controlling one's mental well-being are significant factors that educational institutions are fighting to manage daily. What common thread can be used to stitch or heal the emptiness that so many urban elementary school students experience on a given day? This…

Research on the importance of complete mental health has led to increased focus on students' subjective well-being (i.e., happiness and life satisfaction) coupled with the traditional attention to psychopathology. Although screeners for psychopathology abound, the present project is novel in applying best practices in universal screening to grade…

This study investigated the low literacy and math achievement of 4th grade students with emotional disturbances (ED) in an urban school district in Pennsylvania. Researchers have speculated that teachers possess limited knowledge of the behavioral health needs of students with ED needed to support their behavior and achievement. Therefore, this…

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) first instituted the Wraparound Services during the 2016-2017 school year as a school-based approach to providing non-academic services to students, which was guided by a 2017 consultation report by the Boston Consulting Group. The expectation was that the provision of non-academic services would…

Schools are increasingly seen as promising environments for initiatives to prevent mental disorders and to protect and promote mental health. This pilot study examined whether a school-based resiliency programme, "Bounce Back," increased protective factors associated with resilience. Thirty-nine children aged 8-10 years (M = 9.17,…

Improving the quality of education for millions of children worldwide has become a global priority. This study presents results from the first experimental evaluation to test the impact of a universal school-based program on (1) the quality of school interactions (i.e., students' perceptions of the level of support/care and…

A significant number of children in schools have mental health problems (World Health Organization, 2004). If children receive any type of mental health services, the vast majority receive these supports at school (Rones & Hoagwood, 2000). Mental health needs in children often manifest as emotional dysregulation, social incompetence, and…

Governmental attention to bullying in kindergarten through Grade 3 continues to be a challenge in a metropolitan school district in the eastern United States. This has presented a case for school policy reform. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine how bullying and office discipline related to suspension referrals,…

This study examines gender, grade-level, and baseline depressive symptoms as potential moderators of a school-based mindfulness intervention's impact on the self-regulatory outcomes of urban youth. Ninety-seven participants from four urban public schools were randomly assigned to an intervention or wait-list control condition. Fourth and fifth…