Experts In Mental Health Screening Identify Real World Benefits

Despite current controversy about adolescent mental health screening, evidence shows that by detecting and treating problems early, lives are often improved. Screening to detect depression, the risk of suicide, and other mental disorders is an effective way to identify youth problems and is important for several reasons.

• Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth 10-24 years of age.
• Almost as many adolescents and young adults die from suicide than from all natural causes combined.
• Studies of youth who have died from suicide (called psychological autopsy studies), have found that 90% had a diagnosable mental disorder at the time of their death.

According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2003), 9% of high school students self-report making a suicide attempt, and 3% make an attempt serious enough to require medical attention.

Many mental health problems start in youth and worsen over time if not treated. Yet, while physical health screenings in schools are relatively common, schools do not commonly screen for mental health conditions. Screening for these problems, particularly depression, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation, or past suicide attempts, can help to identify youth early in the course of their illness so that staff can make referrals for further assessment and, when indicated, treatment.

Currently, within the Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI) and the Department of Child & Family Studies, experts are involved in three projects focusing on suicide prevention, and two of the projects focus on youth screening.

The Youth Suicide Prevention School-based Guide (the Guide) was created by FMHI/CFS with funding originally provided by Nova Southeastern University through a Florida Drug Free Communities Program Award. The Guide is a tool that provides a framework for schools to assess their existing or proposed suicide prevention efforts through a series of checklists, and provides resources and information that school administrators can use to enhance their existing program. The Guide is based upon a review of literature, exemplary programs, as well as input and reviews obtained from Florida Health and Education state administrators, national experts from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and Centers for Disease Control, survivors, researchers, school district level staff and select agencies. The Guide is produced in relatively short, separate Issue Briefs, with assessment checklists corresponding to each Brief. This format promotes program assessment and easy access to important information. The project team makes presentations about the Guide and its implementation at conferences and educational meetings throughout the state and nation. The Guide is online and available for free download directly at: http://theguide.fmhi.usf.edu

Mental Health Screening Materials Review, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is designed to collect information about voluntary mental health screening materials that are used in school settings along with the TeenScreen program. TeenScreen was identified in the President’s New Freedom Commission Report as a model program for adolescent mental health and suicide screening. The information from this study will be analyzed and used to revise the existing communications package with the goal of improving information access and parental decisions.

The University of South Florida and Columbia University’s TeenScreen Implementation Collaborative, funded by Columbia University’s Carmel Hill Center, this program assists in implementing the TeenScreen program in sites thoughout Florida. The project team helps to identify potential screening sites such as school districts, large child serving organizations, and specialty youth mental health service providers. Additional information about TeenScreen can be found at:
http://www.teenscreen.org.