Are Schools Shifting From Drug Prevention to Mental Health?

Medscape December 12, 2024
Edited by Lora McGlade

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...

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