“This is Real”: A Thematic Analysis of Parent Perspectives on School Mental Health Services

• In Event: Towards Equitable Access to Mental Health Services in School: Teamwork Across Interdisciplinary Scholars and Professionals

Abstract

Objectives
This study seeks to understand parent experiences pursuing school-based mental health support for their children. Using qualitative analysis of interviews with 12 parents, we plan to answer the following questions:
1. What mental health supports do parents of children with mental health challenges identify as effective in school?
2. What do parents believe schools should do differently to better support students with mental health challenges?
3. What strategies do parents identify their child using to advocate for support for their needs in school?​
Theoretical Framework
This paper leverages the Gateway Provider Model (Stiffman et al., 2004). This model acknowledges that youth tend to be directed to services by informal and formal providers, and may need advice and encouragement from others in their social network to access treatment for mental health services. Thus, for youth and families to access mental health services, they often first interact with a gateway provider who is able and willing to facilitate their access to services.
Data Sources
Participants (N=12) were recruited as part of an effort to develop a resource for parents to support them in navigating school-based support for children with mental health challenges. Participants engaged in semi-structured interviews.
Methods
To develop the codebook, three transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The codebook was then refined by coding another transcript with an additional researcher. This process included data familiarization, coding, generating initial themes, developing and reviewing themes, refining and naming themes, and writing up the results, which reflected an iterative, inductive, and deductive process (Braun & Clark, 2012).The interviews are in the process of being coded using the finalized codebook, 30% will be double-coded.


Results
Preliminary findings reveal parents’ strategies for accessing services for their children, barriers to access, the impact of appropriate services (or lack thereof), direct harm to their children and families caused by the school, as well as recommendations for improvement. Parents emphasize that schools are central in providing access to mental health services and that educators serve as gatekeepers to those services. As such, educators have an opportunity to positively impact youth’s lives by prioritizing mental health. Conversely, despite likely good intentions, school staff who do not know much about supporting youth mental health can cause significant immediate and long-term harm.
Significance
Given the prevalence of youth mental health challenges (CDC, 2025) the significant impact that those challenges have on youth and families (WHO, 2024; Sellers et al., 2019; Avison & Comeau, 2013), and the established difficulty that families face in accessing appropriate mental health services (De France et al., 2022; Larson et al., 2017; McKay et al, 2021; Nguyen et al 2022), this paper expands on previous findings by adding clarity around how parents access and experience school-based mental health supports for their children. This study serves to provide guidance on how school staff can support equitable access to mental health supports for students, guided by the perspectives of parents.

Authors

• Alexandra Allen, Boston University

• Courtney Newman, University of Virginia

• Jennifer Greif Green, Boston University