Youth Depression in School Settings: Assessment, Interventions, and Prevention

Shashank V Joshi; Nadia Jassim; Nithya Mani

doi:10.1016/j.chc.2019.02.017

Youth Depression in School Settings: Assessment, Interventions, and Prevention

Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2019 Jul;28(3):349-362. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2019.02.017.

Authors

Shashank V Joshi¹, Nadia Jassim², Nithya Mani³

Affiliations

¹ School Mental Health Team, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital @ Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305-5719, USA; Lucile Packard Children's Hospital @ Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305-5719, USA. Electronic address: svjoshi@stanford.edu.
² School Mental Health Team, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital @ Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305-5719, USA.
³ Lucile Packard Children's Hospital @ Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305-5719, USA.

PMID: 31076113
DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2019.02.017

Abstract

In this article, the authors make a compelling case that all clinicians who treat youth with depressive disorders should embrace strategies to engage with school staff to best serve their patients in the classroom. Because these disorders have a high incidence in the school population (13% of US teens experienced at least 1 major depressive episode in 2016), this can affect learning, social interactions, and classroom engagement. Several approaches are highlighted for assessment of depressive symptoms, intervention and treatment in school settings, and prevention strategies, including depression education curricula and programs promoting subjective well-being, such as positive psychology and mindfulness.

Keywords: Depression in schools; Depression prevention in schools; School-based mental health; Suicide prevention; Well-being promotion.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child Welfare
Depressive Disorder, Major / diagnosis
Depressive Disorder, Major / prevention & control*
Depressive Disorder, Major / therapy*
Humans
Mass Screening
School Health Services*