TOPLINE:From 2008 to 2020, US schools reported significant increases in emotional/mental health education (from 83.8% to 89.8%) and suicide prevention programs (from 70.1% to 81.8%), while substance use prevention declined from 94.5% to 88.6%, particularly in middle schools.
METHODOLOGY:Analysis included seven cycles (2008-2020) of the School Health Profiles, a cross-sectional, biennial national surveillance system of US middle and high schools (grades 6-12).A total of 76,826 schools participated, with 9865-12,387 schools responding annually from 2008 to 2018, achieving 70%-94% response rates per state.Researchers utilized systematic, equal-probability sampling with random starts to produce representative samples for each state, with one lead health educator per school completing self-administered questionnaires.Data analysis focused on weighted proportions for affirmative responses regarding school programming and teacher professional development in emotional/mental health, suicide prevention, and substance use prevention.TAKEAWAY:According to the researchers, teacher professional development in emotional/mental health increased significantly from 36.1% in 2012 to 67.7% in 2020 (P <.001 for trend authors reported that suicide prevention training teachers rose from in to schools experienced a steeper decline substance use programming compared high dropping interaction by school level found teacher professional development remained unchanged at and practice: during early adolescence is associated with risk long-term addiction middle may be underused wrote the of study. source:the study was led chloe gao bhsc division adolescent young adult medicine boston children hospital boston. it published online on december jama. limitations:the researchers noted several key limitations including potentially inaccurate self-reporting prepandemic data lack characteristics questions overlooking informal courses. additionally cross-sectional nature meant same have been sampled multiple times across years. disclosures:scott hadland md mph ms receiving grants national institute drug abuse patient-centered outcomes research institute. no other disclosures were reported. this article created using editorial tools ai as part process. human editors reviewed content before publication.>
Source : Medscape