Reviews the research on school-based mental health services that deal with a range of children’s emotional and behavioral problems. Out of a pool of more than 5,000 studies, 47 met the methodological criteria for inclusion in the literature review. School-based mental health programs fell along a continuum, from universal preventive interventions to enhance the social and problem-solving skills of all students to selective interventions for individuals at higher risk than the general population of developing particular emotional or behavioral problems. According to epidemiological studies, about 20 percent of children and adolescents meet diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder currently or within the past 6 months, the most common being depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Aggravating factors include experience of major life losses and exposure to domestic or community violence. The present literature review identified some research and intervention gaps, including the need for: (1) programs focusing on special education students, particularly those classified as seriously emotionally disturbed; (2) further examination of the factors contributing to successful program implementation and dissemination; and (3) development of conduct disorder interventions for middle and high school students as well as depression and sex education interventions for elementary students.
