Effects of School Based Mental Health Services Among At-Risk Rural High School Students

Without early intervention, at-risk students are in danger of not completing high school, of being unemployed, and of becoming involved with the legal system as a truant or by criminal acts. This study examined differences between a multicomponent school-based mental health (SBMH) intervention and a single-component SBMH intervention in terms of the locus of control (LOC), academic performance (GPA), and number of behavior referrals by school staff for a sample of at-risk youth. This study drew from social learning theory, LOC theory, and the theories underlying cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and social skills training (SST) for its conceptual framework. A quantitative, experimental research design with pretest/posttest methodology across two intervention groups was used. Participants were 71 male and female at-risk rural high school students from three rural public high schools who were randomly assigned to a 9-week intervention of either SST or CBT/SST. Analysis of covariance comparing the effects of gender and intervention condition (SST & CBT/SST), on LOC, GPA, and number of behavioral referrals by school staff revealed no statistically significant differences in post-intervention scores when controlling for pre-intervention scores. A post-hoc analysis using a paired-samples t test comparing the effects of each intervention condition on the outcome scores revealed a statistically significant difference in LOC and GPA scores for the SST group, and LOC scores for the CBSST group. The results of this study offer the potential for positive social change by advancing the understanding of how to support at-risk students in order to reduce their risk of academic, emotional, behavioral, or social disability during high school.