The Time to Act Is Now: Investing in LGBTQIA2S+ Student Mental Health in K-12 Schools With a Youth-Centered Approach.

Compared to youth a decade ago, today's youth experience increased rates of mental health concerns as well as greater severity of mental health issues. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, over a third of youth reported feeling sad and hopeless and one in five reported having seriously considered suicide. With this grim reality, schools and communities are no longer able to ignore how mental health affects the daily lives, social and emotional development, and identify formation of their youth. When schools implement mental health promotion programs and policies, they not only promote academic success but also increase protective factors that establish an environment supportive of help-seeking behaviors. Active Minds is committed to improving mental health outcomes for youth, specifically LGBTQIA2S+ students, enrolled in K-12 schools across the United States. These recommendations, grounded in evidence-based best practices, provide support for schools as they work to improve student mental health. These recommendations include the following:Implementing the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community (WSCC) model;Centering youth voices in mental health promotion;Participating in surveillance efforts;Ensuring mental health support for students with diverse identities and needs;Providing space to address individual biases and stigma;Developing and aligning policies and culture to support youth mental health.

Mental healthcare on college campuses during COVID-19: Comparing telehealth, in-person, and hybrid modes of delivery.

Objective: During COVID-19, many colleges offered mental health services to their students through telehealth or through a combination of telehealth and in-person (hereby hybrid) services. This study examines the experiences and perceptions among students who received telehealth, hybrid, or in-person services. Participants: Data was collected from the Healthy Minds Survey, a national survey of college students, during Fall 2020 and Spring/Winter 2021 (n = 13,976). Methods: Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were conducted to examine how students who received campus mental health services through different modes of delivery differed in reported barriers to care, satisfaction with care, and perceived support. Results: Students receiving in-person services differed from students receiving telehealth or hybrid services on multiple metrics. For example, they were less likely to be satisfied with the quality of therapists or the ability to schedule appointments without long delays. However, effect sizes were small. Conclusion: There may be unique strengths to telehealth and hybrid services.