Contemporary mental health screening examines a combination of students’ psychological distress and subjective well-being. This model is called the “dual-factor” model. “Free of psychopathology and flourishing, with high levels of emotional, psychological, and social well-being” (Keyes, 2005, p. 539).
INTEGRATING NORMATIVE, CRITERION REFERENCE, AND SURVEILLANCE APPROACHES
Key References
Furlong, M. J., Dowdy, E., Moore, S., & Kim, E. (in press). Adapting the dual-factor model for universal school-based mental health screening: Bridging the research to practice divide. In K-A. Allen, M. J. Furlong, S. Suldo, & D. Vella-Brodrick (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology in schools: In support of positive educational processes (3rd ed.). Routledge, Taylor and Francis.
Furlong, M. J., Fullchange, A., & Dowdy, E. (2017). Effects of mischievous responding on the results of school-based mental health screening: I love rum raisin ice cream, really I do! School Psychology Quarterly, 32, 320–335. doi:10.1037/spq0000168
Screening and Monitoring
Universal screening supports prevention and early intervention practices in schools. Assessing emotional and behavioral problems is often the primary focus of school-based screening — however, this problem focus does not address the interests of a small percentage of students. Including strength-based measures in school-based universal mental wellness screening broadens educators’ understanding of mental health and informs proactive interventions that address problems and while enhance strengths.
See Also
School Mental Health Collaborative
Best practices in universal screening for social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes: An implementation guide
Key Reference
Moore, S. A., & Widales-Benitez, O., & Carnazzo, K. W., Kim, E. K., Moffa, K., & Dowdy, E. (2016). Conducting universal complete mental health screening via student self-report. Contemporary School Psychology, 19, 253–267. doi:10.1007/s40688-015-0062-x
Dual-Factor Screening Approach
Covitality Survey Student Orientation Presentation (slides)