Youth mental health and access to mental health resources are ongoing concerns for many students, families, and school personnel. Schools are trusted entities with the potential to disseminate accurate information. However, little is known about how school districts utilize the opportunity to connect students to trustworthy online mental health crisis resources. The objective of this study was to determine whether school districts are using technology to connect students to mental health resources. Using a stratified random sample of Texas public school districts, we assessed the presence and accessibility of mental health resources through district websites. Only 20.3% of district websites had mental health crisis resources present. Further evaluation revealed that districts are not fully utilizing technology to promote online mental health crisis resources. School nurses can play a key role in expanding access to mental health crisis resources by developing and promoting such websites.
BakerC. L.OzkaynakM.ZinielS. I.HarpinS. B.MakicM. B. (2022). Systems of communication in school-nurse led care coordination: A concept analysis. Nursing Forum, 57(6), 1536–1544. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12824
2.
BourgaultA.EtcherL. (2022). Integration of the screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment screening instrument into school nurse practice. The Journal of School Nursing, 38(3), 311–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405211009501
3.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (1991–2021) High school youth risk behavior survey data. Available at: www.cdc.gov/yrbs
ChaoH.-J.LienY.-J.KaoY.-C.TasiI.-C.LinH.-S.LienY.-Y. (2020). Mental health literacy in healthcare students: An expansion of the mental health literacy scale. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 948. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030948
6.
GalemoreC. A.MarionS.Moran FossileK.O’TooleS.RaganK.RobertsonB. (2022). Leading during a pandemic: A school nurse administrator roundtable. NASN School Nurse, 37(3), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942602X221084069
7.
HardimanB.SonnenbergN. (2022). A school nurse and a technology specialist: Partnering for improved processes during COVID-19. NASN School Nurse, 37(6), 313–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942602X221110500
8.
KahanD.McKenzieT. L. (2020). School websites: A physical education and physical activity content analysis. The Journal of School Health, 90(1), 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12851
9.
MarrapeseB.GormleyJ. M.DescheneK. (2021). Reimagining school nursing: Lessons learned from a virtual school nurse. NASN School Nurse, 36(4), 218–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942602X21996432
10.
McIntoshC. E.DaleB.KruzliakovaN.KandiahJ. (2021). Interprofessional collaboration in school-based settings part 1: Definition and the role of the school nurse. NASN School Nurse, 36(3), 170–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942602X20985420
11.
MossE.BergrenM. D.MaughanE. D. (2019). School nurse websites: What do they tell US about school nurses?The Journal of School Nursing, 35(6), 395–400. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840519843315
12.
National Association of School Nurses [NASN] (2016). Framework for 21st century school nursing practice: National association of school nurses. NASN School Nurse, 31(1), 45–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942602X15618644
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Prevalence of mental health services provided by public schools and limitations in schools’ efforts to provide mental health services. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/a23
15.
NavinM. C.AttwellK. (2022). Imperfect immunization communication on school district websites: A mixed-methods review. The Journal of School Nursing, 38(5), 459–466. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840520970886
16.
PestanerM. C.TyndallD. E.PowellS. B. (2019). The role of the school nurse in suicide interventions: An integrative review. The Journal of School Nursing, 37(1), 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840519889679
17.
PretoriusC.ChambersD.CowanB.CoyleD. (2019). Young people seeking help online for mental health: Cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 6(8), e13524.
18.
ShattuckD.SebastianR.ZamarinK.AcostaS.RamosM. M. (2024). School nurse management of behavioral health, violence, and trauma-related emergencies: Findings from a statewide survey. The Journal of School Nursing, 40(5), 536–546. https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405221120437
19.
StempelH.Cox-MartinM. G.O’LearyS.SteinR.AllisonM. A. (2019). Students seeking mental health services at school-based health centers: Characteristics and utilization patterns. The Journal of School Health, 89(10), 839–846. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12823
20.
Summers-GabrN. M. (2020). Rural–urban mental health disparities in the United States during COVID-19. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(S1), S222–S224. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000871
WilliamsM. L.MorseB. L.DeGraffenriedW.McAuliffeD. L. (2021). Addressing stress in high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. NASN School Nurse, 36(4), 226–232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942602X21993053
24.
World Health Organization (2017). Global accelerated action for the health of adolescents (AAHA!): Guidance to support country implementation. World Health Organization.
