DSW CANDIDATES

As the mental health crisis continues to grow world-wide, the impact on youth in US public schools is becoming a topic that can no longer be ignored. Concerns regarding youth mental health in the country pre-date the recent Covid-19 pandemic, however the drastic shift in daily life along with prolonged periods of social isolation have caused increases in youth struggling with anxiety, depression, and diminished social skills. If left unchecked the consequences of this crisis will be far reaching and could negatively impact the current and future generations. While preK-12 students spend a great deal of time in the school environment it becomes the responsibility of the school system to put measures in place to address the mental health and well-being of the students. This presentation will begin by examining the scope of the crisis itself. The systematic literature review portion will examine what measures are currently being taken in public schools across the country to address the mental health crisis. The conceptual portion of the presentation will explore and define relevant theories and the responsibility of higher education. The practice application portion will provide the potential solution of implementing a comprehensive universal mental health program in all public schools in the United States. The presentation will conclude with a brief synthesis of all key findings and conclusions.