Editorial: The Value of and Need for School Mental Health Services

The United States has an overburdened and fragmented mental health services system. Because of challenges in accessing care, the needs of most adolescents experiencing psychiatric disorders go unmet.¹ Schools play an important role in filling gaps in services and, for many youth, schools are the first-and often the only-point of access for mental health services. School-based mental health services are particularly important for adolescents in low-income families or living in urban neighborhoods, who, because of social and structural factors, are more likely to report psychiatric symptoms and less likely to have access to community-based behavioral health care.² As such, schools are uniquely well positioned to support the mental health needs of youth. School-based mental health services can provide immediate and contextually relevant support to youth as needs arise, and may be less constrained by structural barriers that limit access to community-based services (eg, cost, transportation).³ Therefore, it is important for researchers and practitioners to critically evaluate the question: How can schools best support the mental health of young people?