Advances and Challenges in School-Based Intervention for Anxious and Depressed Youth: Identifying and Addressing Issues of Sustainability

Promoting Adolescents' Heritage Cultural Identity Development: Exploring the Role of Autonomy and Relatedness Satisfaction in School-Based Interventions

Given the significance of heritage cultural identity for optimal adolescent development, it is imperative to investigate factors influencing the efficacy of interventions aimed at promoting heritage cultural identity. Using latent profile cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regressions, this longitudinal study examined how autonomy and relatedness need satisfaction at school (1) related to heritage cultural identity development trajectories, and (2) moderated effects of a school-based intervention. The study included N = 198 adolescents (Mage = 12.86 years, SDage = 0.75, 52% female, 41% immigrant descent, 49% intervention group) in Germany. Teacher-student relationships played an important role in facilitating intervention effects on identity development trajectories, emphasizing the importance of the relational context when implementing school-based interventions to promote heritage cultural identity development.

Lessons Learned About Barriers to Implementing School-Based Interventions for Adolescents: Ideas for Enhancing Future Research and Clinical Projects

The majority of youth with mental health problems do not receive treatment, highlighting the critical need to transport evidence-based interventions into community settings, such as schools. Despite being able to reach a large number of adolescents and minority youth, the process of implementing evidence-based interventions to schools is challenging. This paper discusses some expected and unexpected challenges experienced during the implementation of an open trial and a pilot randomized controlled trial examining the acceptability and effectiveness of a school-based preventive intervention for adolescents at risk for internalizing disorders. First, we highlight key programs and findings on preventive interventions for adolescents at risk for depression and anxiety. Next, we provide a brief overview of the preventive intervention we implemented in schools. This provides a context for the section that describes implementation issues and highlights specific challenges and potential solutions for intervention implementation. Finally, the paper offers recommendations for researchers and clinicians interested in implementing school-based mental health services for adolescents.

Identification of Social Anxiety in Schools: The Utility of a Two-Step Screening Process

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is highly prevalent yet largely undetected and untreated in adolescents despite the availability of effective treatments. Implementing interventions in schools enhances recognition and access to treatment for SAD. However, without reliable means to accurately identify youth in need of services, school-based interventions are not feasible. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of a two-step, school-based screening approach to identify youth with SAD. Students at three public high schools were screened with self-report questionnaires or nominated by school personnel. Subsequently, a brief telephone assessment of student symptoms was completed with students' parents. Results showed that using both questionnaires and telephone assessments yielded acceptable detection rates, while school staff nominations were not beneficial. This study provides support for the use of a two-step screening procedure consisting of student self-reports followed by brief parent telephone interviews to identify youth with clinically impairing social anxiety. Implications for enhancing school-based detection of and intervention for socially anxious adolescents are discussed.