Universal Screening in Positive School Mental Health Using the ASEBA Methodology for Teachers: A Pilot Epidemiological Study

Abstract

School-based detection and intervention are critical components in ensuring positive mental health in children, with teachers playing an essential role in assessing students’ well-being. The current research aims to be a pilot epidemiological study on positive school mental health in Malaga, Spain, using the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA). Data were collected in the COVID-19 pre-pandemic setting, using the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) and the Teacher Report Form (TRF) in a sample of 420 children, who were between 5 and 8 years old at the time of the data collection. In 5-year-old children, the DSM-oriented scale with the highest clinical prevalence corresponds to attention deficit and hyperactivity problems (1.13%). In this same sub-sample, clinical levels of externalizing problems (4.52%) were non-significantly more common than internalizing conditions (1.69%). As for children between 6 and 8 years old, the DSM-oriented scale with the highest prevalence of clinical scores corresponds to anxiety problems (4.12%) and conduct problems (2.88%). Clinical levels of externalizing problems (9.47%) were non-significantly more prevalent than internalizing problems (6.58%). The results present 95% confidence intervals prevalence data in the general population and sex-differentiated descriptive statistics. The results are discussed according to their implication for school mental health.