Mental health screeners uncover unseen struggles
The number of students considering suicide reached more than one in five last year, while 60% of youth with major depression received no treatment. Schools, already stretched thin, are searching for ways to spot hidden mental health needs before they worsen.
A new screening tool planned for release in fall 2025 may help. The DESSA Social-Emotional and Internalizing Risk assessment, created by Riverside Insights, combines risk and resilience measures to predict student well-being. A recent study found it accurate 70% of the time. The results question the idea that strong social skills alone mean good mental health.
Traditional screeners miss too many students
A study tracking 254 middle school students across the U.S. found that even those without obvious behavioral issues often faced anxiety or depression. The work showed that relying only on strengths-based assessments—common in many schools—can overlook students who seem fine but are struggling inside.
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“This research confirms what school mental health professionals have been saying for years—that traditional screening methods miss too many students,” said Dr. Evelyn Johnson, vice president of research and development at Riverside Insights. “When educators and counselors use a dual approach to identify risk factors, they can spot concerns earlier and step in before problems grow.”
Johnson explained that educators frequently noticed something wrong with students, even when assessments showed no issues. That gap led Riverside Insights to test a model that looks at both risk and resilience, instead of assuming the absence of problems equals well-being.
Schools need tools that work with limited resources
The DESSA SEIR aims to help schools facing a mental health support crisis. Nationwide, the average school psychologist serves 1,065 students—more than double the recommended ratio. Counselor ratios are also too high, at 1 for every 376 students. With staffing shortages leaving many schools short-handed, preventive tools that don’t require extra staff are in demand.
Jim Bowler, general manager of the Classroom Division at Riverside Insights, called the dual-factor approach promising. “Schools told us they needed a way to find students who might be struggling beneath the surface,” he said. “The DESSA SEIR gives educators the full picture so no student is overlooked.”
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The tool is designed to simplify, not add work. By flagging students who might otherwise go unnoticed, it could reduce the need for later interventions when problems are harder to fix.
The DESSA SEIR will launch for the 2025-2026 school year. Its release comes as districts deal with rising mental health challenges and tighter budgets. For schools needing better ways to support students, it offers a possible solution.
Chronic absenteeism often signals deeper issues that tools like this could help address.
