Towards closing the treatment gap: a team-led model of brief psycho-educational intervention
Journal of Public Mental Health
ISSN: 1746-5729
Article publication date: 19 June 2020
Issue publication date: 1 April 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Many pupils who experience distress and emotional difficulties are left untreated because of the shortage of mental health professionals at schools. This study aims to explore a brief psycho-educational intervention based on school psychologist–teacher cooperation aimed at closing this treatment gap.
Design/methodology/approach
With a randomized controlled methodology, 79 preschools to 12th grade teachers were asked to lead a brief psycho-educational intervention with one of their pupils. A second pupil was assigned to a waiting list (control group). Each teacher and one of her/his colleagues filled a Pupil Adjustment questionnaire, being developed for this study, before and after the intervention.
Findings
The findings show that the intervention significantly improved the adjustment of the participating pupils, compared to the control group. That improvement related to all the dimensions of adjustment (i.e. social, protection and learning).
Originality/value
Teacher–school psychologist cooperation, as described here, is hardly practiced. It emerges as an effective model to assist many pupils who are currently left with no treatment. The discussion traces the next stages for outreaching that would apply to pupils in many countries and cultures.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by grants from the Mofet Institute and Gordon College of Education. The author wishes to thank Prof Izhak Gilat and Gali Yosefy for their assistance.
Citation
Yariv, E. (2021), "Towards closing the treatment gap: a team-led model of brief psycho-educational intervention", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 33-42. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-01-2020-0004
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited