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<p>Student voices are vital in advancing school mental health. Using a youth participatory action research (YPAR) approach, data from high school students from urban and rural settings in the Midwestern United States were gathered. This YPAR approach incorporated first-hand student perspectives to identify challenges and improvements needed in school mental health services through qualitative inquiry. Youth and adult researchers jointly developed the research questions, data collection methods, and conducted the analyses. Using snowball sampling, 15 focus groups (<i>N</i> = 43 non-researcher students) were conducted. Three themes resulted from a thematic analysis approach: (1) the importance of following up after taking the screener; (2) the need for school counselors to support students’ mental health; and (3) their preference for teachers to be more willing to connect with students and discuss their wellbeing. This study underscores the importance of transparency, communication, and trust between students and school staff. Collaborations between youth researchers and adult researchers highlight actionable strategies for improving mental health services based on student input. By centering student voices, this research emphasizes the critical role of youth action in shaping effective school mental health initiatives.</p>

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High School Students as Researchers to Improve School Mental Health Screening and Support

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月23日

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  • David Aguayo,
  • Alicia Mitchel,
  • Pedro Colucci Kfuri,
  • Leslie T. Navarro,
  • Alexis D. Sidebottom,
  • Allison M. Harris,
  • Anna Sappington,
  • Pravash Kumar Raut,
  • Kennedi A. Boatner,
  • Maya Farr-Atkins,
  • Rachel T. Santiago,
  • Wendy M. Reinke,
  • Keith C. Herman

摘要

Student voices are vital in advancing school mental health. Using a youth participatory action research (YPAR) approach, data from high school students from urban and rural settings in the Midwestern United States were gathered. This YPAR approach incorporated first-hand student perspectives to identify challenges and improvements needed in school mental health services through qualitative inquiry. Youth and adult researchers jointly developed the research questions, data collection methods, and conducted the analyses. Using snowball sampling, 15 focus groups (N = 43 non-researcher students) were conducted. Three themes resulted from a thematic analysis approach: (1) the importance of following up after taking the screener; (2) the need for school counselors to support students’ mental health; and (3) their preference for teachers to be more willing to connect with students and discuss their wellbeing. This study underscores the importance of transparency, communication, and trust between students and school staff. Collaborations between youth researchers and adult researchers highlight actionable strategies for improving mental health services based on student input. By centering student voices, this research emphasizes the critical role of youth action in shaping effective school mental health initiatives.