Mental health in pandemic

Introduction In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, schools have confronted unprecedented challenges as they moved to quickly shift classes to an online format, provide equitable access for all students, support teachers’ and students’ educational needs, and make plans amidst great uncertainty. The pandemic itself has caused much worry, stress, and grief. These stressors can cause mental health challenges for anyone and can cause acute symptoms to appear for people who may experience preexisting mental health challenges. Universal screening to identify students in need An established method to identify students who may have difficulties with anxiety or depression is through systematic screening of the school population. For elementary school students, screening involves teachers and students completing brief questionnaires regarding students’ emotions and classroom behaviors. At the middle and high school levels, screening primarily relies on student questionnaire...