New Issue Brief: Universal Mental Health Screenings in Schools Do More Harm Than Good

NEW YORK, NY – Concern over youth mental health has driven schools nationwide to adopt new initiatives such as universal mental health screenings. These are brief assessments used to identify students who may benefit from mental health intervention. Nearly one-third of public schools reported conducting mandated screenings under district guidelines in 2021. Yet in September, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged schools to reconsider universal screenings, arguing that “schools should not deliver children into the hands of ‘screeners’ and therapists for treatment until they have directly addressed the unhealthy behaviors that many children have in America today.” Does the evidence support the secretaries’ recommendation against screenings? 
 
In a new Manhattan Institute issue brief, Paulson Policy Analyst Carolyn Gorman provides a critical assessment of universal mental health screenings in schools and concludes that they are ineffective and harmful, and as such, states should prohibit their use in schools. Gorman finds they are ineffective because screenings do not reduce the prevalence of mental health conditions or improve academic outcomes. Instead, they produce overwhelmingly high rates of false positives, increasing the risk that students will be over- or misdiagnosed and receive unnecessary treatment. 
 
Additionally, Gorman argues these programs are redundant and misallocate resources. Screenings are layered on top of existing school assessments that already identify mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns. As a result, Gorman warns that universal screenings create the illusion of prevention while diverting attention and resources away from the highest-risk students. 
 
Based on these findings, Gorman provides valuable model legislation for states to consider adopting when seeking to prohibit universal screenings in schools or better regulate targeted screenings. 

Click here to read the full issue brief.