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To date, little research has systematically considered the ways in which schools can better address the needs of immigrant-origin youth (IOY). Further, considering the increased negative attitudes toward and policies targeting IOY and families within the U.S., there is a need to go beyond targeting just IOY at risk for mental health concerns and promote a culture of inclusion throughout the school. The goal of this paper is to address ways in which schools can best attend to the mental health needs of IOY by systematically integrating prevention and intervention efforts across three tiers of support within the school setting. Specifically, we propose a three-tiered model of school based mental health services for IOY. Based on a thorough review of current literature, we propose universal, selective, and targeted programming to support the MH needs of IOY and families. We discuss implications for implementation as well as future directions for research.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is prevalent among college students in India; however, barriers like stigma, treatment accessibility and cost prevent engagement in treatment. Web- and mobile-based, or digital, mental health interventions have been proposed as a potential solution to increasing treatment access. With the ultimate goal of developing an engaging digital mental health intervention for university students in India, the current study sought to understand students' reactions to a culturally and digitally adapted evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for GAD intervention. Specifically, through theatre testing and focus groups with a non-clinical sample of 15 college students in India, the present study examined initial usability, acceptability and feasibility of the "Mana Maali Digital Anxiety Program." Secondary objectives comprised identifying students' perceived barriers to using the program and eliciting recommendations. Results indicated high usability, with the average usability rating ranking in the top 10% of general usability scores. Participants offered actionable changes to improve usability and perceived acceptability among peers struggling with mental health issues. Findings highlight the benefits of offering digital resources that circumvent barriers associated with accessing traditional services. Results build on existing evidence that digital interventions can be a viable means of delivering mental healthcare to large, defined populations., (© 2019 International Union of Psychological Science.)

The current study sought to better understand barriers to mental health help-seeking for suicide, as well as elicit input on recommendations for suicide prevention and intervention efforts for Guyanese youth. Participants included 17 adult stakeholders (i.e., teachers, administrative staff, and school-allied community workers) and 40 students at a secondary school in Guyana who participated in focus groups and interviews, respectively. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Themes related to perceptions of barriers to mental health help-seeking included shame and stigma about mental illness, fear of negative parental response to mental health help-seeking, and limited awareness and negative beliefs about mental health services. Themes related to recommendations for adolescent suicide prevention in Guyana included the need for culturally informed prevention efforts, the importance of integrating such efforts within schools, and the role of government and community organization in suicide prevention efforts. Findings have implications for the development and tailoring of suicide prevention efforts for Guyanese youth.

Research has pointed to the importance of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) between school psychologists and medical providers in the provision of quality mental health care for youth with chronic health conditions. However, little is known about current IPC practices among school psychologists. This study examined school psychology trainees' and professionals' perceptions of training, preparedness, and current practices related to IPC with medical providers. Survey results indicated that participants (N = 317) endorse relatively low levels of training and preparedness and limited practice of IPC with medical providers. Additionally, results indicated that perceptions of training and preparedness were associated with current practices in IPC with medical providers. Findings demonstrated the impact of training and preparedness on subsequent engagement in IPC and have implications for the future training of school psychologists as they seek to address the needs of youth with chronic health conditions.

This study examined (a) the roles of perceived and personal stigma on attitudes toward professional psychological help seeking and (b) the effects of these constructs across gender in South Asians. Personal stigma and being male was negatively associated with attitudes toward professional psychological help seeking; no difference in the association between personal and perceived stigma and attitudes across genders was found. These findings have implications for the engagement of South Asians in mental health services in the United States.

Due to its high prevalence and associated risk of poor academic and health outcomes, adverse childhood experiences and trauma are considered a public health epidemic. In response, there has been a surge of initiatives aimed at helping institutions and individuals serving people with histories of trauma to adopt a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach. However, significant roadblocks to TIC research and practice include an unclear operational definition of TIC and the shortage of psychometrically robust instruments to evaluate TIC. To close these gaps, we used a partnership-based approach to develop a direct, efficient, and cost-effective measure of TIC focused on evaluating the TIC-relevant attitudes of staff working in schools, human service systems, and other settings serving individuals with histories of trauma. We then conducted a psychometric evaluation of the resultant measure, the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC) Scale, with a sample of 760 staff employed in education, human services, and health care. Study findings established support for the psychometric properties of the measure. Specifically, confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the seven-factor structure fit the data well. Scores on the ARTIC demonstrated strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability over 6 months for the 45-item and 35-item composites, the seven subscales, and the 10-item short form. Construct and criterion-related validity were supported by correlations with indicators of familiarity with TIC and staff- and system-level indicators of TIC implementation. The current study has implications for accelerating research on TIC and facilitating data-based decision making related to the adoption and implementation of TIC.

Despite the well-documented need for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) between school mental health (SMH) professionals and pediatric primary care providers (PCPs), research on current collaborative practices of these professionals is limited. Accordingly, using survey methodology, this study investigated SMH professionals' previous training and training interests, degree of comfort with, attitudes toward, and current practices in IPC with pediatric PCPs. The majority of SMH professionals reported having received some training in IPC and endorsed high levels of interest in additional training. Further, comfort in IPC skills varied considerably based on the skill queried. While SMH professionals indicated IPC was of high importance, results revealed the relative infrequency of IPC with pediatric PCPs. Finally, increased frequency of IPC with pediatric PCPs was associated with positive attitudes toward IPC. Study results underscore the importance of addressing attitudes toward IPC and have implications for advancing research and training in SMH professionals IPC with pediatric PCPs.

The current study sought to better understand barriers to mental health help-seeking for suicide, as well as elicit input on recommendations for suicide prevention and intervention efforts for Guyanese youth. Participants included 17 adult stakeholders (i.e., teachers, administrative staff, and school-allied community workers) and 40 students at a secondary school in Guyana who participated in focus groups and interviews, respectively. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Themes related to perceptions of barriers to mental health help-seeking included shame and stigma about mental illness, fear of negative parental response to mental health help-seeking, and limited awareness and negative beliefs about mental health services. Themes related to recommendations for adolescent suicide prevention in Guyana included the need for culturally informed prevention efforts, the importance of integrating such efforts within schools, and the role of government and community organization in suicide prevention efforts. Findings have implications for the development and tailoring of suicide prevention efforts for Guyanese youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based assessment (EBA) is a critically important aspect of delivering high-quality, school-based mental health care for youth. However, research in this area is limited and additional applied research on how best to support the implementation of EBA in school mental health (SMH) is needed. Accordingly, this manuscript seeks to facilitate the advancement of research on EBA in SMH by reviewing relevant literature on EBA implementation in schools and providing recommendations for key research priorities. Given the limited number of published studies available, findings from child and adolescent mental health and implementation science research are also included to inform a robust and comprehensive research agenda on this topic. Based on this literature review, five priorities for research on EBA in SMH are outlined: (1) effective identification of assessment targets, (2) appropriate selection of assessment measures, (3) investigation of organizational readiness for EBA, (4) study of implementation support for EBA, and (5) promotion of EBA data integration and use. Each priority area includes recommended directions for future research. A comprehensive and robust research agenda is warranted to build the science and practice of implementing EBA in SMH. Specific directions for this agenda are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent literature, public policy, and funding opportunities call attention to the need for better increased integration of health and mental health care services in primary care settings so as to best meet the needs of children and families. There are many benefits to such integration, but pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) face multiple barriers to identifying and managing patients with mental health difficulties. One way to address this problem is through the integration of psychologists into primary care settings who can collaborate with PCPs to provide integrated behavioral health care to youth and families. However, there are challenges to collaboration, which include differences in training, professional cultures, and expectations held by professionals from various disciplines. Effective communication is a key component in supporting interprofessional collaboration between primary care providers and psychologists working in primary care settings. This paper reviews aspects of pediatric medicine culture, critical components of communication, and strategies to improve communication. Three case examples are presented in which some of these challenges have been successfully addressed. Implications and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pediatric primary care setting has been put forth as an ideal context in which to improve access to behavioral health services for racial and ethnic minority youth. To fully actualize the potential for integrated health in pediatric primary care settings to appropriately address disparities in health care, additional focus on cultural competence in working with underserved populations by psychologists is needed. This article seeks to contribute to the efforts of psychologists in pediatric primary care in addressing the needs of underserved, racial and ethnic minority youth. Subsequent to a discussion of culture and cultural competence at the provider level, we review particular areas of focus as they relate to cultural competence for the psychologist embedded in pediatric primary care settings. Specifically, we highlight 2 areas: (a) treatment engagement, including help-seeking behaviors and stigma, and (b) use of culturally informed interventions, including cultural adaptations and use of transdiagnostic or modularized treatments, that are especially relevant for psychologists working within primary care. We conclude by providing recommendations for practice for the psychologist working within pediatric primary care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined (a) the roles of perceived and personal stigma on attitudes toward professional psychological help seeking and (b) the effects of these constructs across gender in South Asians. Personal stigma and being male was negatively associated with attitudes toward professional psychological help seeking; no difference in the association between personal and perceived stigma and attitudes across genders was found. These findings have implications for the engagement of South Asians in mental health services in the United States. Este estudio examinó (a) los roles de estigmas percibidos y personales en las actitudes hacia la búsqueda de ayuda psicológica profesional y (b) los efectos de estos constructos en indiviuos sudasiáticos según su sexo. El estigma personal y la identidad masculina se asociaron negativamente con las actitudes hacia la búsqueda de ayuda psicológica profesional; no se halló diferencia en la asociación entre estigmas personales y percibidos y las actitudes de los distintos sexos. Estos hallazgos tienen implicaciones para la participación de los individuos sudasiáticos en los servicios de salud mental en Estados Unidos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although best practice for children's mental health services emphasizes ongoing assessment and monitoring of clinical progress, community based clinicians inconsistently implement assessment as part of clinical care due to a variety of practical barriers. The current study explores which factors may be related to the use and function of evidence-based assessment (EBA) in real-world, clinical settings, particularly school mental health (SMH). Mixed methodologies surveying a national sample of SMH clinicians and interviewing clinicians and program managers were used to explore current assessment practices, including use of specific tools and barriers, facilitators and attitudes toward EBA. Results indicate that clinician level of experience is negatively related to overall attitudes toward EBA, particularly openness. The most commonly-reported barriers to using assessments were difficulty reaching parents, respondents not understanding items, and clinicians not having access to measures they like or need. Also, supervision, when received, does not often include EBA. Academic indicators were more regularly collected than any of the 18 clinical assessment tools queried. Qualitative themes including barriers and facilitators to conducting EBA, specific measures' weaknesses and strengths, strategies to increase response rates and regular administration, and program management considerations regarding EBA implementation provide supporting details to these results. Implications for ongoing quality improvement efforts by program managers and clinicians related to the feasible implementation of EBA in school mental health settings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]