School connectedness: Supporting the emotional and/or mental health needs of adolescents in a low-income middle school

In support of student and teacher focus group participation incentives, refreshments
The 2016 National Survey of Children's Health indicates emotional and mental health needs are prevalent among US adolescents and treatment gaps remain. Enhancing protective factors, such as school connectedness, has the potential to help adolescents avoid behaviors that increase their risk of adverse health and educational outcomes. School connectedness has been described as the belief held by adolescents that adults and peers in the school care about them and their learning. Adolescents with increased school connectedness have demonstrated better mental health outcomes. This proposal supports co-created research objectives between ECU and a community partnership with a low-income middle school in Wilson County. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of social connectedness in supporting the emotional and/or mental health needs of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Surveys and focus groups will be collected from students to gain insight on perceptions of school connectedness and help seeking behaviors. Focus groups will be conducted with teachers to examine the impact of an Emotional Poverty(C) training intervention upon 1) teacher practice and use of strategies to positively connect with students and 2) disruptive classroom behaviors and number of referrals to in-school and community services.

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