Mental Health Issues Identification in Schools

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In a school setting, being an analyst may be challenging due to difficulties associated with ethical issues. In particular, the American Psychological Association (APA) identifies several general principles and ten sections to describe possible cases and the ways to successfully resolve them (American Psychological Association, 2010). The code of conduct proposed by APA may affect the introduction of behavior modification principles by engaging both counselors and students in the process of behavior analysis and the subsequent positive change.

As stated by Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) (n.d.), the applied behavior analysis approach considers the very essence of human actions, focusing on the role of circumstances and their impact on personality. At the same time, Cloninger (2013) argues that personality and behavior are closely intertwined with each other and they may significantly impact one another. In the context of a school, the mentioned approach is useful to understand students’ behaviors and adjust them, if required.

The identification and treatment of mental health issues in schools may benefit from the applied behavior analysis. According to Harvey, Luiselli, and Wong (2009), the given approach presents the opportunity of creating a professional team of psychologists, psychiatrists, and other related experts to assist children with mental disorders, focusing on their cultural peculiarities. The application of the specified approach seems to benefit them in learning, communication, and relationship building (Harvey et al., 2009).

It is essential to emphasize that behavior shapes personality as one of the key elements unique to every child. Since education plays a critical role in personality establishment, behaviors associated with learning cannot be overestimated (Cloninger, 2013). Social differences, beliefs, and cultures compose an integral part of personality shaping, and their presence is inextricably linked with learning.

The given School Psychologist–Based Personality and Behavior Assessment Scenario is a valuable and relevant tool to evaluate behavior changes in students, especially when they show declining academic performance or problems with discipline. As stated by Kosher, Jiang, Ben-Arieh, and Huebner (2014), school psychologists need to be aware of available assessment options and able to interpret their results. The mentioned scenario provides the possibility of evaluating various fields related to behavior. For example, symptomatic behavior or interpersonal relations may be assessed to provide the ground for further treatment considerations (Kirwan, 2014). The mental status examination also contributes to the overall effectiveness of this instrument.

Reliability of the given assessment tool may be regarded as high as it integrates several dimensions of personality evaluation. As for validity of the instrument, it is also high as other students may also be assessed with it. Even though the results of this scenario cannot be generalized to a wider context, they are essential to understand the working mechanism of the evaluation tool (Stinnett, Bui, & Capaccioli, 2013). The cultural considerations are presented in the background information that is important to have a full picture and decide on the required behavioral adjustments. The mentioned elements of the scenario are relevant to the school setting as they reveal the most representative personality features and outline assessment credibility.

Among the ethical issues that may arise, one may enumerate age or gender discrimination, ethnic diversity unawareness, or discipline problems. In order to create a more complete evaluation instrument, it is possible to implement endorsement considerations, geographical location, and students’ personal qualification (Splett, Fowler, Weist, McDaniel, & Dvorsky, 2013). The latter seems to be especially important as along with standardized assessments, students need to be evaluated with the considerations of their unique behavioral patterns. The use of personality measures is relevant and contributory to the work of school psychologists and better student performance.

References

American Psychological Association. (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct: Including 2010 amendments. Web.

Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). (n.d.). About behavior analysis. Web.

Cloninger, S. (2013). Theories of personality: Understanding persons. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Harvey, M. T., Luiselli, J. K., & Wong, S. E. (2009). Application of applied behavior analysis to mental health issues. Psychological Services, 6(3), 212-222. Web.

Kirwan, J. (2014). PSY615: Week three school psychologist-based personality and behavior assessment scenario. Web.

Kosher, H., Jiang, X., Ben-Arieh, A., & Huebner, E. S. (2014). Advances in children’s rights and children’s well-being measurement: Implications for school psychologists. School Psychology Quarterly, 29(1), 7-20. Web.

Splett, J. W., Fowler, J., Weist, M. D., McDaniel, H., & Dvorsky, M. (2013). The critical role of school psychology in the school mental health movement. Psychology in the Schools, 50(3), 245-258. Web.

Stinnett, T. A., Bui, L., & Capaccioli, K. (2013). Undergraduate student preferences for graduate training in psychology: Implications for school psychology. Psychology in the Schools, 50(5), 520-530. Web.

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Mental Health Issues Identification in Schools

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