CDC Releases Guide for Promoting Mental Health in Schools

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of School and Adolescent Health (DASH) released a new school mental health action guide to help school and district leaders build on what they are already doing to promote students’ mental health and find new strategies to fill in gaps.

The action guide describes six (6) in-school strategies that are proven to promote and support mental health and well-being. For each strategy, the guide also describes approaches, or specific ways to put the strategy into action, and examples of evidence-based policies, programs, and practices. Strategies include:

1. Increase students’ mental health literacy.
2. Promote mindfulness.
3. Promote social, emotional, and behavioral learning.
4. Enhance connectedness among students, staff, and families.
5. Provide psychosocial skills training and cognitive behavioral interventions.
6. Support staff well-being.

This action guide is a direct response to recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey findings, which show that adolescent mental health has been worsening for more than a decade, and that key indicators of poor mental health have reached alarming levels.

Those interested can read the entire CDC report, “Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders” here.