Two top federal officials are arguing schools should eliminate mental health screenings and therapy — a stance that has drawn pushback from behavioral health leaders according to a Sept. 16 NPR report.
Here are five things to know:
- In an opinion column published in The Washington Post, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HSS secretary and Linda McMahon, education secretary, said schools should eliminate mental health screenings and therapy. They advocated for a return to “natural sources of mental well-being: strong families, nutrition and fitness, and hope for the future.” The secretaries argued that school-based mental health questionnaires “medicalize the unique and sometimes unpredictable behavior of young children,” and create “new stigmas that students might carry with them for life.”
- The officials cited an Illinois law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker that requires all public schools to administer annual mental health screenings starting in third grade. The screenings are standardized tools that ask children to self-report on emotions, well-being and stressors. This represents one of the most expansive mental health mandates in K-12 public education and could influence similar legislation in other states, according to the report.
- Psychologists and child psychiatrists interviewed by NPR said screening tools do not diagnose conditions but instead identify children who may need a follow-up. “Screeners are brief assessments that identify this population at risk,” Benjamin Miller, PsyD, a psychologist, said. “They’re not diagnostic, and they require us to take an additional step.” Experts emphasized that most students who screen positive are referred to school counselors or nurses for further evaluation — not therapy or medication, according to the report.
- Leaders said universal screening helps reduce stigma by opening conversations around mental well-being. “Stigma is when you don’t talk about it and you hide it,” Mary Alvord, PhD, a psychologist, said. Vera Feuer, MD, director of child psychiatry at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health, said that screenings help schools identify systemic issues and deploy appropriate wellness or resilience programs. Many districts use broader “school climate” or “wellness” surveys to understand trends, not diagnose individuals, she said.
- Dr. Feuer said symptoms flagged by a screener often turn out to be tied to physical health conditions, not always a mental health disorder. Still, she said screenings remain essential for catching red flags early: “A lot of the disorders do start before age 15. We know that the rates have increased,” she said.
