Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Students\u27 Behaviors

Around 17 million children in the U.S have or have had a behavioral health issue, but most are not treated. Eighty percent of children with anxiety are not receiving treatment, along with 40% of children with diagnosable ADHD/ADD and 60% of children with diagnosable depression. Untreated behavioral health issues have had a severe impact on the nation\u27s economy. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, untreated behavioral health issues cost about $100 billion a year in lost productivity. The United States has a high population of both children and adults with untreated behavioral health issues. Children who have untreated behavioral health issues, can potentially grow up to be adults with behavioral health issues. The start of many behavioral health conditions most often occurs in adolescence. Half of individuals living with behavioral health issues experience onset by the age of 14. This number jumps to 75% by the age of 24. Untreated or inadequately treated behavioral health conditions can affect a student\u27s ability to learn, grow and develop. Even during the best of economic times, youth living with behavioral health issues struggle to access essential behavioral health services and supports. Services are often unavailable or inaccessible for those who need them the most. There is a need for students to have better access to behavioral health services which can be offered within the school setting. Schools should not wait for a crisis to occur within a school, (e.g., a school shooting) before addressing the lack of behavioral health services for students. The research question for this study is: Will students\u27 behaviors differ significantly, as measured by the pretest and post test BRIC, based upon participation in SFBT