School-Based Mental Health Interventions: Global Case Studies and Solutions

Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the current global mental health crisis. Large-scale, school-based interventions are potentially effective for addressing this global challenge. A majority of countries worldwide require compulsory schooling and therefore provide the greatest potential to assist large numbers of minors in mental illness prevention. Mental illness often includes co-morbidities such as substance abuse, and physical and sexual abuse. Therefore, school-based mental health interventions have the potential to prevent future addiction and abuse that children may later experience as adults. Different intervention approaches as well as barriers and challenges are explored.