Physical activity (PA) promotion is an ideal intervention target for public health because it has the potential to help individuals feel better, sleep better, and perform daily tasks more easily, in addition to providing disease prevention benefits. There is strong evidence that individual-level theory-based behavioral interventions are effective…

This promising practice describes a statewide effort to address the surging youth mental health crisis through the provision of Youth Mental Health First Aid training in West Virginia public schools. Youth Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based training for adults who work with youth. This interactive training increases participants'…

Health and behavior change programs play a crucial role in improving health behaviors at individual and family levels. However, these programs face challenges with engagement and retention and typically show modest efficacy. Cognitive load theory is an established and highly used educational theory that proposes individuals have a finite capacity…

Research has pointed to a critical need for primary prevention and intervention strategies. This has only been magnified since the COVID-19 pandemic and with the shortages of school-based mental health providers. Active Minds is a national organization dedicated to "changing the conversation about mental health" (Active Minds, n.d.-b) by…

The transition to postsecondary education can be challenging for any student, particularly for those facing impending personal crises, mental disorders, or with undiagnosed disabilities. The link between mental health and academic performance has been well established. Both work in tandem to predict important areas of concern for colleges and…

Health systems often fail to tap the expertise of the developmental disabilities community support and service system. In this 9-month pilot health system-level quality improvement project, a multi-disciplinary team of physician, pharmacist, and disabilities advocate reviewed electronic records of patients with Down syndrome in advance of…

Recent years have seen growing interest in the potential contributions of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technologies to children's health education. Specifically, ChatGPT, a language processing model developed by OpenAI, represents a significant advancement in this field. By presenting child health-related information in an understandable and…

According to the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), an substance use disorder (SUD) involves patterns of symptoms caused by using a substance that an individual continues taking despite its negative effects. Though there are 11 specific DSM-5 criteria for an SUD, they…

Suicide-related behavior (SRB) is a growing mental health concern on college campuses. We argue that causes of this rising trend go beyond student stress, to include outdated campus policies, overburdened counseling center staffing, and untapped targets for prevention efforts. We outline the social-ecological model applied to suicide and related…

In this article, the authors describe a 3-year initiative in New York state, led by the New York Center for Child Development (NYCCD), through which more than 2,500 mental health clinicians were trained in the DC:0-5. Funding was provided through the creative use of the Preschool Development, Birth to Five federally funded Block Grant, and…

More than half a billion children globe-wide currently live in conflict or crisis contexts (UNICEF 2016), including more than 30 million displaced and refugee children (UNICEF 2020). The extreme and often prolonged adversity suffered in these environments can have lifelong physical, psychological, and socioeconomic consequences for children, and…

Background: School health education, including sexual health education, plays a crucial role in shaping adolescents' protective health behaviors, experiences, and outcomes. Adolescents need functional knowledge and skills to practice, adopt, and maintain healthy behaviors for preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human…

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to "forced innovation" in the health education industry. High-quality training of the future rural health workforce is crucial to ensure a pipeline of rural health practitioners to meet the needs of rural communities. This paper describes the implementation of an online multidisciplinary teaching…

A rise in the number of school shootings over time has driven increasing attention to school safety. However, school shootings are not the only physical safety threat students may encounter at school. Other types of violence include sexual assault, robbery, physical attack or fights, and threats of physical attack (with or without a weapon). In…

Reflective supervision/consultation (RSC) is a relationship-based form of professional development for the infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) workforce. A critical context for effective RSC is the quality of the reflective alliance between supervisor and supervisee. Their "way of being" together is inclusive of safe,…