Module 5 Flashcards
(55 cards)
What should be done as pandemic stressors continue (in the context of children)?
As pandemic stressors continue, kids’ mental health needs to be addressed in schools
What is happening in the United States as 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic approaches?
As the United States approaches 2 full years of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental illness and the demand for psychological services are at all-time highs—especially among children.
What are happening to children due to changes like remote learning?
While some children benefited from changes like remote learning, others are facing a mental health crisis.
What has the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in their data?
Prior to COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data found 1 in 5 children had a mental disorder, but only about 20% of those children received care from a mental health provider.
What do kids need right now?
Whether kids are facing trauma because of child abuse or loss of a family member or everyday anxiety about the virus and unpredictable routines, they need even more support now—all amid a more significant shortage of children’s mental health resources.
What did a 2020 survey find? (in the context of Module 5)
In a 2020 survey of 1,000 parents around the country facilitated by the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 71% of parents said the pandemic had taken a toll on their child’s mental health, and 69% said the pandemic was the worst thing to happen to their child.
What did a national survey find? (in the context of Module 5)
A national survey of 3,300 high schoolers conducted in spring 2020 found close to a third of students felt unhappy and depressed much more than usual.
What are also on the rise?
Mental health crises are also on the rise. From March 2020 to October 2020, mental health–related emergency department visits increased 24% for children ages 5 to 11 and 31% for those ages 12 to 17 compared with 2019 emergency department visits, according to CDC data (Leeb, R. T., et al., Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 69, No. 45, 2020).
What difficulties did kids have with mental healthcare?
Emergency visits could be mitigated with more widespread outpatient care, but even before the pandemic, kids often had to wait months for appointments (Cama, S., et al., International Journal of Health Services, Vol. 47, No. 4, 2017). Only 4,000 out of more than 100,000 U.S. clinical psychologists are child and adolescent clinicians, according to APA data. School psychologists are also in short supply, leaving kids without enough support at school. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends a ratio of 1 school psychologist per 500 students; current NASP data estimate a ratio of 1 per 1,211 students.
What else has the pandemic exacerbated?
The pandemic has also exacerbated existing disparities in mental health services.
What did a 2020 technical report from the University of Massachusetts Boston and University of Massachusetts Amherst find?
A 2020 technical report from the University of Massachusetts Boston and University of Massachusetts Amherst found that students who needed access to school-based services the most, particularly those with lower socioeconomic backgrounds, had lower rates of counselors and school psychologists in their districts.
What are psychologists seeking?
While federal funding has provided schools with money to support students’ well-being, psychologists have been seeking additional long-term solutions to address the mental health problems revealed and exacerbated by the pandemic, from building mental health into school curricula to training teachers in prevention strategies to support students based on psychological science.
What are some of the most notable ways psychologists have worked to address students’ mental health and what’s ahead?
- Bringing mental health into the classroom.
- Training teachers to address trauma.
- Ensuring long-term resilience.
What is the American Rescue Plan Act?
The American Rescue Plan Act, passed in March 2021, included $170 billion for school funding, and many schools used the funding to hire mental health workers, including psychologists.
What are other federal and state funding allocated to?
Other federal and state funding is being allocated toward training more psychologists.
What is an example of other federal and state funding being allocated toward training more psychologists?
For example, in Nevada, which has historically ranked last in U.S. mental health, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, received a grant to train school clinicians in urban diversity and social justice, and Nevada State College received funding to create a new program to train school mental health clinicians, including psychologists.
What is a realistic solution for the shortage of mental health services for kids?
While the field of psychology recognizes a shortage of mental health services for kids, addressing those needs may not be a realistic solution until the workforce grows.
Who is Kenneth Polishchuk?
APA’s senior director for congressional and federal relations
What did Polischuk say?
Relying on temporary funding to hire permanent staff isn’t financially sustainable for lower-income districts, said Kenneth Polishchuk, APA’s senior director for congressional and federal relations. As a result, Polishchuk said, many schools are hiring mental health providers on a short-term basis, as well as taking a preventative approach focused on training teachers in psychological principles.
What did Howell say?
Psychologists in some districts are training teachers in basic social and emotional skills to help students cope with stress and anxiety in real time, said Kathryn H. Howell, PhD, an associate professor of child and family psychology at the University of Memphis and chair-elect of APA’s Committee on Children, Youth and Families. Howell said equipping kids with coping skills in the classroom can prevent strain on school psychologists while also improving students’ ability to learn.
What are psychologists in some districts doing?
Psychologists in some districts are training teachers in basic social and emotional skills to help students cope with stress and anxiety in real time, said
What can help prevent strain on school psychologists while improving students’ ability to learn?
Equipping kids with coping skills in the classroom can prevent strain on school psychologists while also improving students’ ability to learn.
What else did Howell say?
“As psychologists, we don’t just want to bring in interventions that only we as experts can deliver,” Howell said. “We need to make it sustainable by teaching those on the front lines how to equip kids with the skills they need to thrive.”
Who is Kathryn H. Howell, PhD?
an associate professor of child and family psychology at the University of Memphis and chair-elect of APA’s Committee on Children, Youth and Families
