ISR Insights Speaker Series – School Mental Health in the Detroit Public Schools Community District

August 18, 2020

ANN ARBOR – ISR Insights Speaker Series is a series focusing on the research happening at ISR.

Tuesday, August 25 at 11am

In recent years, rates of child and adolescent mental illness have skyrocketed. Nearly half of adolescents in the United States will experience symptoms of a mental illness before age 18, and one in five will be severely impaired by their symptoms. Among youth ages 10-24, suicide has become the second leading cause of death, killing almost 8,000 young people annually. These problems may be acerbated in urban, high poverty schools. There is evidence of higher rates of both mental illness and self-injury and suicidal behavior in communities of color which is hypothesized to reflect the impact of systemic racism, as well as significant racial disparities in access to high quality health and mental health care. Schools are uniquely positioned to identify and respond to students’ mental health care needs, and to reduce widespread inequities in access to effective prevention and early intervention services. However, only limited data is available on the prevalence and pattern of mental health challenges in urban schools or about the school or district resources available to address those challenges.

This study presents data collected as part of a partnership between TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students), the Youth Policy Lab, and the Detroit Public Schools Community District. In 2019, our study team collected survey data from nearly 3,500 DPSCD teachers, administrators, school staff, almost 11,000 students, and 800 families. In this talk, Drs. Robin Jacob and Elizabeth Koschmann share findings on (1) the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and exposure to traumatic events among students, (2) the degree to which these are associated with school engagement, absences, and other behaviors, and (3) the challenges staff and district administrators face in providing mental health services for their students.

This webinar is part of a continuing series focusing on the research happening at ISR. If there is a topic you would like to see featured or have an idea for a future presentation, please email [email protected]. This talk is being recorded and will be shared widely.

More:
Bringing Effective Mental Health Care to Students

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