College and university counseling centers have maintained core practices of advanced scheduling, thorough psychosocial assessment before treatment, and traditional 50-minute psychotherapy sessions since their inception in the mid-late 1900s. This approach has become challenged in the current university mental health landscape, which has seen a…

For several decades, college counseling centers have struggled to meet a steady rise in demand for services. Research suggests that therapeutic advancements, including psychotropic medication, have led to an increase in students with serious mental illnesses who now represent a significant portion of this demand. Current strategies to meet the…

College health promotion departments frequently employ peer health educators to disseminate relevant education and conduct outreach to their student body. While there are certainly benefits to these programs, this approach is outdated and does little to empower students or engage them in the process of health promotion. In this viewpoint article,…

Objective: Persons with high-risk for severe COVID-19 illness require special attention when considering university operations during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The objective of this study was to determine the number of students who fall within a high-risk category according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines using…

Chronic absenteeism is associated with poor health and educational outcomes. School nurses have great potential to address the health and educational needs that contribute to absenteeism. Through qualitative analysis of interviews with school nurses, we characterize their current role in reducing absenteeism and identify barriers 3 that limit…

The mental health of college students continues to decline, leading to increased suicide rates among young adults. College campuses provide mental health resources; however, many college students do not effectively utilize the resources. This quantitative research study allowed for a deeper understanding of why college students are not using…

There is a need for more research regarding school-based behavioral mental health services addressing problematic internalizing behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative study was to implement Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) combined with Check-in/Check-out (CICO) in an alternative educational setting and evaluate its effects on (a)…

Chronic absenteeism is a widespread and troubling phenomenon affecting high school students nationwide. Existing research identifies an inverse link between student health and chronic absenteeism. Illness is a top cause of student absence, suggesting that school-based health services may play an important role in mitigating chronic absenteeism.…

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth experience poor physical and mental health outcomes relative to their non-LGBTQ peers. School health professionals (SHPs), such as school nurses, play a key role in addressing LGBTQ student health needs. However, few studies examine school health needs of…

Background: School-based health centers (SBHCs) offer primary and preventive health care for children and adolescents. Using nationally representative data, we aimed to examine which child and family characteristics are associated with using school-based health care providers as the primary source of health care, and whether care received from…

Background: School-based health centers (SBHCs) can integrate health and educational services to achieve common goals of student wellness and success. As no method exists to quantify the degree of integration for clinics and partner schools, this study aimed to design such a measure. Methods: Measure items were drafted from the literature. Eleven…

Although bullied adolescents experience elevated risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes, some youth exhibit resilience in the face of peer victimization. Given the developmental importance of peer relationships during adolescence, much of the research examining protective factors that can mitigate bullying-related harm has focused on…

One of the most substantial challenges facing colleges and universities today remains the creation of a healthy campus environment. With more than one-third of college students classified as overweight or obese by body-mass index (BMI) and the known negative health consequences associated with obesity, campuses have a deliberate responsibility to…

Schools face an unprecedent demand for mental health services. Student mental health problems can be addressed via a continuum of mental health evidence-based practices (EBPs) integrated within school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). However, integrating mental health interventions with PBIS can be challenging. The…

The rising prevalence of mental health challenges among youth has created a pressing need for effective, feasible, equitable, and contextually relevant interventions. Educators and school mental health professionals face critical challenges in helping students overcome such barriers to school success. This makes the need for school-based…