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: School Mental Health

13 articles

Clear filters
A diverse middle-school counselor sits side-by-side with a teenage student in a quiet school library after class, both looking at an open notebook with warm, focused expressions — editorial documentary photo about pediatric OCD, school-based recognition, and the path to evidence-based ERP treatmentSchool Mental Health

Pediatric OCD in Schools: Why ERP Is the Only Treatment That Works

Pediatric OCD requires Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), not generic talk therapy. Learn how to identify it in school settings and the right referral pathway.

May 19, 202611 min read
A diverse school nurse sits with a high-school student at a quiet table in the school health office, leaning in attentively while the student speaks softly — editorial documentary photo about adolescent eating disorders, early identification, and the role of school staff in referralSchool Mental Health

Adolescent Eating Disorders: What School Staff Need to Know

Adolescent eating disorders affect teens across all demographics. Learn warning signs, evidence-based treatment, and the school referral pathway every Georgia district needs.

May 19, 202611 min read
A Black school administrator and a diverse mental health clinician sit at a hallway table with a clipboard, reviewing a student support plan during a quiet morning before school — editorial documentary photo about Conduct Disorder, behavioral support, and the alternative to exclusionary discipline in Georgia schoolsSchool Mental Health

Conduct Disorder in Schools: Beyond the Discipline Pipeline

Conduct Disorder is a clinical condition, not a discipline problem. Learn the signs, evidence-based interventions, and what Georgia schools can do differently.

May 19, 202610 min read
A diverse middle-school counselor — a Black woman in her 40s — kneels beside a quiet Latina student at a hallway locker after class, both calm and the counselor listening — editorial documentary photo about how Georgia K-12 educators notice the hidden signs of student anxietySchool Mental Health

Three Hidden Signs of Student Anxiety in K-12 Schools

Hidden signs of student anxiety rarely look like classic worry. Learn the three most-missed pediatric presentations Georgia K-12 educators should watch for under HB 268.

May 7, 202611 min read
A diverse Black middle-school counselor and a Latina teen sit side-by-side on a school hallway bench, the counselor listening as the student looks down at her phone — editorial documentary photo about modern cyberbullying tactics parents and schools missSchool Mental Health

3 Modern Cyberbullying Tactics Parents and Schools Miss

Modern cyberbullying tactics like group-chat exclusion, AI-generated images, and doxxing are missed by most parents and schools. Here's how to spot them.

May 6, 202611 min read
A diverse middle-school counselor — a Black woman in her 40s — sits side-by-side with a Latina mother on a school library bench, both leaning over a phone screen with concerned expressions, editorial documentary photo about parents and counselors confronting modern cyberbullying in private group chats and AI-generated contentSchool Mental Health

Cyberbullying in 2026: What Schools and Parents Are Missing

Cyberbullying in 2026 looks nothing like 2016 — private group chats, AI-generated nude imagery, deepfakes, and doxxing now dominate. Here's what Georgia schools and parents need to know.

May 6, 202611 min read
A school counselor — a Latina woman in her 40s — sits side-by-side with a multiracial high school student on a bench in a quiet school courtyard mid-afternoon, both looking ahead in conversation, books between them — editorial documentary photo about why school counselors remain the relational front lineSchool Mental Health

Why Your School Counselor Isn't Going Anywhere

The fear under most partnership conversations: outside clinicians replacing school counselors. The healthy model does the opposite — adds clinical depth behind your counselors so they can finally stop carrying it all alone.

May 5, 20269 min read
A school counselor — a Black woman in her 30s — and an external teletherapy clinician — a Latino man — meet by laptop in a quiet school library to coordinate a student handoff, both leaning in at the screen — editorial documentary photo about layered school mental health partnershipSchool Mental Health

What School Mental Health Partnership Actually Solves

What a school mental health partnership actually solves: clinical capacity, same-day access, FERPA-compliant infrastructure. And what it doesn't replace: your counselors and your district's relational trust.

May 5, 202610 min read
Two school administrators — a Latina principal and a Black district mental health coordinator, both in their 40s — stand in a quiet school hallway studying a whiteboard with student-services data, late-afternoon light through windows — editorial documentary photo about Georgia school mental health staffing gapsSchool Mental Health

Why Only 48% of Schools Can Meet Student Mental Health Needs

Only 48% of US schools say they can effectively provide mental health services to all students who need them. Here's what's driving the gap and the partnership model districts use to close it.

May 5, 202610 min read
A sunlit middle school cafeteria during a quiet phone-free reset period, students of varied ethnicities reading, sketching, and talking quietly without phones in sight — editorial documentary photo about phone-free school day policies for adolescent mental healthSchool Mental Health

3 Things Schools Can Do About the Teen Sleep Crisis Now

Three concrete things schools can do this term about teen sleep loss and social media — none of which require new staff or curriculum overhaul.

May 4, 202610 min read
A teenage girl lies in bed at midnight in a dark bedroom, her face lit by the glow of her phone, eyes tired but unable to look away — editorial documentary photo about the teen sleep crisis driven by social mediaSchool Mental Health

The Teen Sleep Crisis: Social Media Is the Hidden Driver

The teen sleep crisis isn't about late bedtimes — it's about social media keeping nervous systems on alert. Here's the data, the mechanism, and what schools can do.

May 4, 202610 min read
A diverse middle-school counselor and Black assistant principal review an attendance printout together at a hallway desk near classroom doors, both leaning in with concern but not alarm — editorial documentary photo about reading student anxiety attendance patterns clinically rather than as a discipline issueSchool Mental Health

Student Anxiety Attendance: 3 Patterns Disguised as Truancy

Student anxiety attendance often hides in plain sight. Learn three patterns Georgia schools mistake for truancy, what they really mean, and what to do.

May 3, 202610 min read
A diverse middle-school counselor sits side-by-side with a worried teenage student in a quiet school library hallway, the student's backpack on the floor — editorial documentary photo about school refusal and anxiety-driven school avoidanceSchool Mental Health

School Refusal Is Almost Never About School: Why Language Matters

School refusal looks like defiance but is almost always anxiety, OCD, sensory overload, or trauma. Why the language matters — and what districts can do.

May 3, 202610 min read
Listen anywhere

Listen to the MentalSpace School podcast

Three new episodes a day for K-12 administrators, counselors, and educators — HB 268 updates, threat assessment, and the day-to-day of school mental health. Subscribe wherever you listen.

View all
Watch the discussion

Watch the conversations on YouTube

Long-form video editions for district leaders and counseling teams, with closed captions and full transcripts.

View all

New articles daily.

Subscribe to receive the latest articles, podcast episodes, and policy updates for K-12 mental health — straight to your inbox. No spam.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.