Mental Health Screening in Schools: Current Methods, Perspectives, and Challenges
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 8
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Children’s mental health profoundly influences their quality of life, academic performance, and future life outcomes. Emotional difficulties in early life are linked to worse long-term well-being, making the early identification and support essential. As universal access points, schools play a crucial role in identifying students in need, and mental health screening is increasingly used to guide support and interventions.
However, school-based screening remains a complex and evolving area. Key challenges involve ensuring that tools are developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and equitable across diverse populations. Questions around consent, privacy, and how best to act on screening results remain pressing. At the same time, innovations, such as digital platforms, ecological monitoring, and tiered response models, are offering new possibilities for early detection and support.
This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health invites submissions of original research, reviews, and critical perspectives on school-based mental health screening. Topics may include tool development and validation, implementation studies, digital innovations, equity and access, ethical considerations, and student or educator perspectives. Contributions from public health, psychology, education, and related disciplines are welcome. We particularly encourage submissions that combine strong methodological rigour with practical relevance for improving student mental health outcomes.
Dr. Shane L. Rogers
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- mental health screening
- school mental health
- child and adolescent wellbeing
- early identification
- screening tools
- emotional and behavioural difficulties
- digital mental health
- school-based interventions
- equity in mental health
- cultural considerations in mental health
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