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Article
Increasing Awareness of Child Mental Health Issues Among Elementary School Staff
Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services
  • Joelle D. Powers, Boise State University
  • Kate Wegmann, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Kate Blackman, UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
  • Danielle C. Swick, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2014
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.2014.95.6
Abstract

Without sufficient education and training on mental illness, school teachers are less likely to have the capacity to recognize related symptoms in students and make appropriate referrals for care. The current pilot study tests the overall effectiveness of a new in-service training designed as the introductory component to a school-based mental health intervention. The training included information on the prevalence of mental health problems in the United States, common youth disorders, and treatment barriers that many families face. Participants' knowledge before and after the training was measured using a 27-item instrument, and statistical significance was assessed for pre- to posttest changes for individual items. Results are overwhelmingly positive and provide evidence of an increase in accurate knowledge of child mental health issues. Implications for both practice and research are discussed.

Citation Information
Joelle D. Powers, Kate Wegmann, Kate Blackman and Danielle C. Swick. "Increasing Awareness of Child Mental Health Issues Among Elementary School Staff" Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services (2014)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/joelle_powers/15/