K-12 mental health, plainly explained

The MentalSpace School Journal

Research-grounded articles for school administrators, counselors, and educators — HB 268 compliance, universal screening, threat assessment, and what good school mental health looks like day-to-day.

Filtered: Clinical Practice

9 articles

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A diverse high school counselor — a Black woman in her 40s — sits side-by-side with a Latino teenage boy on a bench in a quiet school hallway, both looking at a clipboard together while she listens, editorial documentary photo about how schools identify and respond to adolescent substance use disorderClinical Practice

Adolescent Substance Use Disorder: A Guide for Schools

Adolescent substance use disorder affects ~6% of U.S. teens. Learn DSM-5 criteria, evidence-based treatments, and how Georgia schools can screen and refer.

May 15, 202611 min read
A diverse school counselor in her 40s sits side-by-side with a teenage student in a quiet middle-school library, both looking at a notebook together with calm, unhurried body language — editorial documentary photo about identifying BFRBs in students and starting a private, low-shame conversationClinical Practice

BFRBs in Students: Trichotillomania and Skin-Picking in Schools

BFRBs in students — trichotillomania and skin-picking — are often hidden by shame. Learn the signs, evidence-based treatments, and how to refer wisely.

May 15, 202610 min read
A diverse school counselor — a Black woman in her 40s — sits side-by-side with a multiracial middle-school boy in a softly lit school library, both looking at a notebook together — editorial documentary photo about ACEs and childhood trauma support in K-12 schoolsClinical Practice

ACEs and Childhood Trauma: A Guide for Georgia Schools

ACEs and childhood trauma explained for Georgia schools — the science, the warning signs in K-12 students, and trauma-informed practices that work.

May 14, 202610 min read
A diverse Latina mother sits side-by-side on a quiet school library bench with her elementary-age son, leaning in and listening as he talks, both calm but serious — editorial documentary photo about parents navigating a Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) diagnosis with their chronically irritable child.Clinical Practice

DMDD in Kids: Why It's Not Bipolar (And What Helps)

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) was added to DSM-5 in 2013 to prevent pediatric bipolar misdiagnosis. What parents and schools need to know.

May 14, 202611 min read
A diverse Black mother and Latina IEP coordinator sit side-by-side with a folder of paperwork at a school conference table, the mother leaning in as the coordinator points to a section on accommodations — editorial documentary photo about parents and schools partnering on a pediatric ADHD combined presentation planClinical Practice

Pediatric ADHD Combined Presentation: A Guide for Georgia Schools

Pediatric ADHD combined presentation explained for Georgia schools and families — DSM-5 criteria, Vanderbilt screening, IEP/504 supports, equitable care.

May 14, 202610 min read
An Asian-American boy around age 10 in his bedroom carefully arranging items on his desk while a parent sits patiently beside him, soft warm evening lamp light — editorial documentary photo about pediatric OCD compulsions and family ERP supportClinical Practice

Pediatric OCD: When Bedtime Rituals Become a Child's Prison

Pediatric OCD affects 1-3% of children and is highly treatable with ERP — but families wait an average of 8-10 years for the right diagnosis. Learn the signs, the treatment, and what schools can do.

May 12, 202613 min read
A Black teen boy sits in a warm-lit therapy office across from a Black licensed family therapist, with his parents seated beside him, all engaged in a deep family conversation — editorial documentary photo about evidence-based treatment for Conduct Disorder in schoolsClinical Practice

Conduct Disorder in Students: Why Punishment Alone Fails

Conduct Disorder affects 4% of U.S. youth and is highly treatable — but only with the right interventions. Learn what works, what backfires, and how Georgia schools can support these students.

May 12, 202612 min read
A high school classroom in early morning with a Latina teacher at the front of the room and several students visibly drowsy at their desks, one with their head down — editorial documentary photo about sleep deprivation in the classroom getting misdiagnosed as ADHDClinical Practice

When Teen Sleep Loss Looks Like ADHD in the Classroom

Sleep-deprived teens look identical to students with ADHD, anxiety, or depression. Here's how districts can spot the pattern and route students to the right help.

May 4, 202610 min read
A diverse middle school teacher mentors a teenage boy in a quiet school library after class, both seated side-by-side flipping through a notebook — editorial documentary photo about how boys open up when help-seeking isn't a status lossClinical Practice

Why Boys Don't Tell: The Hidden Architecture Behind a Decade of Silence

It's not that boys won't talk. It's that by age 10, most have been taught a script that makes asking for help feel like a personal failure. A K-12 mental health guide.

May 2, 202610 min read
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