What is Mood Check?
Mood Check is a four-part mental health education, screening, and intervention program aimed at increasing mental health literacy in school communities. It includes universal screening for depression and anxiety, a brief assessment and intervention for students with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidality, and connecting at-risk students and their families with resources and services.
Screening in Schools
The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for depression and anxiety in all youth ages 12 to 18, The Surgeon General’s 2021 report recommends delivering developmentally appropriate mental health prevention programs in schools. In line with these recommendations, Mood Check partners with schools to screen all students in designated grades and offer additional support to adolescents at high risk for depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal behaviors.
Mood Check Steps
- The first step, Educate, is aimed at increasing the school community’s mental health literacy through educational programming for school personnel and caregivers. This prepares schools for widespread screening and intervention implementation and serves as a prevention tool. In addition, students receive an evidence-based educational curriculum focused on recognizing the signs and symptoms of depression and suicidal thinking and behavior and what to do if they see these signs and symptoms in themselves or their peers.
- In the second step, Screen, self-report screening is offered to all students in order to identify those who may be at risk for depression and anxiety.
- The third step, Engage, entails individual meetings, if indicated by the screening, and communication with students and families. A short-term follow-up is provided to all students who report elevated symptoms or suicidal thinking, past mental health concerns, or indicate a desire to speak with a clinician directly about concerns for themselves or a peer. If students present with safety concerns, Mood Check clinicians collaborate with the student to create a safety plan. This is a mini blueprint to which a student can refer to in order to identify the following: their individual warning signs or triggers; internal coping strategies; supportive people and places; how to make the environment safe; and a motivation for living, along with providing the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline phone number. Students retain a copy of the plan that they can reference themselves and/or share with caregivers, providers, or trusted adults. Communicating and supporting families is necessary to ensure the students’ needs are addressed. For students who report current, active suicidal thinking or behavior, immediate intervention is initiated.
- The fourth step, Connect, focuses on connecting those in need of intervention with local mental health services and resources. Mood Check staff will also offer to communicate with school support personnel and collateral providers, if the family wishes. We follow adolescents who report elevated symptoms to offer additional support and rescreening, also if the family wishes.
Who Participates in Mood Check?
School districts work with Mood Check leadership to identify which grades will most benefit from education and screening. Typically, Mood Check has been implemented in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades, with most districts identifying at least one middle school grade and one high school grade.
Districts often have new teachers participate in Mood Check annual facilitated training, as well as offering school personnel professional development seminars covering mental health topics relevant in their communities.
Parents/guardians are informed about the program and given the opportunity to opt their child out of participating, similar to how other health screenings are completed in schools. Additionally, each student is given the option to participate in the screening process, making participation completely voluntary.
How to Get Involved with Mood Check?
Please see Getting Started for more on inquiring about Mood Check.
References:
- Depression and Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents: Screening
- Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: Screening
- Youth Mental Health — Current Priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General
Contact Us
Email: moodcheck@brown.edu | Phone Number: 401-863-5123
Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute | Brown University School of Public Health