Primary Submission Category: Infants/children/youth
Expanding the Scope of School-Based Mental Health Services: Addressing Adolescent Depressive Symptoms and Happiness
Authors: Soobin Kim, Orion Mowbray, Jihee Woo, Esther (Seol Ju) Moon,
Presenting Author: Soobin Kim*
Adolescent mental health is a growing concern in the United States, with rising depressive symptoms and declining happiness over the past decade. Schools serve as critical intervention points, offering accessible environments to address social determinants of health (SDOH) through connections with students, families, and communities. School-based mental health services (SBMHS) integrate social workers, counselors, psychologists, nurses, and educators into interdisciplinary support networks. However, SBMHS face persistent challenges, including stigma surrounding mental illness and misconceptions that they are primarily linked to crisis events.
This study examines (1) SDOH associated with depressive symptoms and happiness among high school seniors and (2) the influence of SBMHS on these outcomes. Using nationally representative data from the 2022 and 2023 Monitoring the Future surveys, two hierarchical regression analyses (N=2,574 for depressive symptoms; N=2,844 for happiness) explore the influences of SBMHS alongside SDOH at multiple levels: social context (COVID-19 period), community/school (city size, school type), peer (friends’ substance use), and family (parental education, living arrangements, siblings), while controlling for individual demographics.
Findings reveal that attending school in medium-sized cities (vs. small cities) and having more friends who use substances are associated with higher depressive symptoms and lower happiness. Higher parental educational attainment and living with both parents serve as protective factors, particularly against depressive symptoms. Crucially, SBMHS are significantly associated with both reduced depressive symptoms and enhanced happiness. By integrating happiness—an emerging but underexplored dimension of adolescent well-being—this study pushes the boundaries of school mental health research. It underscores the need to expand SBMHS not only to mitigate distress but also to actively enhance adolescent well-being.