ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Education Secretary Linda McMahon are calling for an end to school-based mental health screening and therapy. Instead, they argue in a Washington Post op-ed that kids need, quote, "natural sources of mental health." NPR health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee is here to tell us more. Hi, Rhitu.
RHITU CHATTERJEE, BYLINE: Hey, Ari.
SHAPIRO: Why do they oppose school-based mental health screenings?
CHATTERJEE: So here's what they've written in the op-ed. They argue that these screenings - which are basically standardized questionnaires that kids can answer about their mood and mental health - they say these screenings are - they medicalize, quote, "the unique and sometimes unpredictable behavior of young children," unquote. And that instead of removing stigmas, they say screenings create new stigmas, and they write that it can lead to treating all kids like patients and overzealous use of therapy.
SHAPIRO: How do mental health experts respond to that?
CHATTERJEE: So all the experts that I spoke to thought that the op-ed was misleading about mental health screenings and therapy.
SHAPIRO: In what way?
CHATTERJEE: So let's start with the argument that these school-based mental health screeners cause more stigma and treat all kids like patients. Here's psychologist Mary Alvord, who works in schools and sees children and adolescents in private practice.
MARY ALVORD: Screeners are meant to be more universal - so not targeting a few kids but really screening everyone. And they are awareness and conversation starters.
CHATTERJEE: And she said that, you know, stigma comes from not talking about something, and it's a big reason why people don't seek care for mental health. So she says screeners don't create stigma, they reduce it just by normalizing conversations about mental health. Another important point is that mental health screeners don't diagnose. You know, it's no different than getting a hearing or a vision screen. They're just brief assessments to find the people at risk and then refer the kids for follow-up - maybe to a school counselor or school nurse - to see if they need to go see a therapist or a psychiatrist.
SHAPIRO: So do the kids whose screenings come out testing positive for mental health problems all get access to therapy if it's needed?
CHATTERJEE: No. I remember that access to therapy is a huge challenge for all Americans, but especially for children, primarily because there just aren't enough providers to meet the demand. But take, for example, even when a child sees a therapist or a psychiatrist - right? - it doesn't necessarily mean that the child will have a mental health diagnosis. Here's Dr. Vera Feuer, who heads the children's psychiatry department at Northwell Health in New York. She says when she evaluates a child, she also assesses their physical health.
VERA FEUER: We often do diagnose other medical conditions, including diabetes or other things that may present. You know, somebody looking like they're distracted in the classroom, falling asleep, not being engaged can look like they're depressed.
CHATTERJEE: But in reality, Feuer says it might be that the child's sugar levels are really high because of underlying diabetes, and this is a scenario she's dealt with in her clinic.
SHAPIRO: What do the experts you've been talking to say about what McMahon and Kennedy called the natural sources of well-being?
CHATTERJEE: So the natural sources of well-being that they're advocating for are, quote, "strong families, nutrition and fitness and hope for the future," close quote. And they also argue for less social media and screens. Now, these aren't controversial at all. In fact, many schools - especially since the pandemic - are already working on these things. But even with doing all those things, they can still have students who need care for a mental health condition, and screening can help identify them. I should add that I reached out to the federal Health Department with a request to interview the health secretary or anyone else who can clarify or elaborate these points, but I did not get a response by deadline.
SHAPIRO: That's NPR's Rhitu Chatterjee. Thank you.
CHATTERJEE: My pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.