Effects of a Universal School-Based Mental Health Program on the Self-concept, Coping Skills, and Perceptions of Social
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Effects of a Universal School‑Based Mental Health Program on the Self‑concept, Coping Skills, and Perceptions of Social Support of Students with Developmental Disabilities Jennifer Katz1 · Vicki Knight1 · Sterett H. Mercer1 · Sarah Y. Skinner1
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract In a cluster randomized control trial, a school-based mental health program combining mental health literacy and dialectical behavior skills was implemented by teachers to determine effects on protective factors related to resilience for students in 3rd–12th grade. As part of a larger study, a subsample of 113 students with developmental disabilities attending 37 classrooms participated. Student-reported measures of self-concept, coping skills, and social support were collected three times in the year. Results indicated large effect sizes for the program on all measures, which pertain to time × group interactions (g = 1.53, 1.91, and 0.86 for self-concept, coping, and social support respectively). Follow-up analyses indicated that gains for the intervention schools primarily occurred between the first two assessment periods when the majority of program content was delivered. Implications for universal school-based mental health programming for students with developmental disabilities are discussed. Keywords Resilience · Protective factors · Mental health literacy · School-based mental health · Dialectical behavior therapy skills · Developmental disabilities
Introduction The mental health needs of youth with developmental disabilities [DD, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD); intellectual disability (ID); fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)] have been historically overlooked, resulting in a lack of access to mental health assessment and treatment services in the school and community (Leoni et al. 2015). Individuals with ID and ASD experience higher rates of comorbid mental health challenges than individuals who are typically-developing, with estimates ranging from 40–60% (Leoni et al. 2015). Youth with DD are at greater risk than their neurotypical peers of developing depression and having thoughts of suicide, with estimates as high as 22% of youth with ASD experiencing suicidal ideation (Hellemans et al. 2008; Horowitz et al. 2018; Whitney et al. 2018). Youth with * Jennifer Katz [email protected] 1
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology & Special Education, University of British Columbia, #2420‑2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
DD also experience a greater number of adverse childhood experiences (Kerns et al. 2017; Price et al. 2017), including bullying and abuse, than their typically-developing peers. Unfortunately, youth with DD are frequently excluded from mental health services due to lack of appropriate screening measures and interventions (Horowitz et al. 2018; Stack and Lucyshyn 2018). Although there is a paucity of mental health research and services targeted for students with DD overall, recent research has begun to identify ke
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