From Reactive to Proactive: The Potential of Universal Mental Health Screenings
By Sky Rump
How many people participated in a vision and hearing test in schools? Now, how many people had a mental health screening offered at any point during their school years? Mental health among the youth in our community has been a lacking topic for years. Treatments pushed off and symptoms ignored until they become a disruption to others are just the tip of the iceberg. One in six youth ages 6 to 17 years old experience a mental health disorder per year in the United States. High school students who struggle with depression are twice as likely to drop out of school. Untreated and unrecognized mental health issues can be detrimental to our youth. Illinois is trying to change that and has been put in the hot seat.
In July of 2025, Governor Pritzker signed a historic bill, making Illinois the first state to implement universal mental health screenings in public schools. These screenings will be available yearly to students ranging from third grade to high school. The check-ins are designed to spot early warning signs of mental health issues and increase proactive interventions. Universal screenings are a belated step in the right direction, but many Illinoisians have questions and concerns regarding these screenings.
The first symptoms of mental health issues typically appear in childhood and adolescence. Fifty percent of mental illnesses appear by age 14. Many of these issues go unnoticed or ignored, increasing the potential risk for these symptoms to escalate over time. Identifying the warning signs early is crucial to reducing crises and increasing resources for students. By normalizing conversations about mental illness and mental health struggles, Illinois will take a step towards equity in mental health care. The law will make mental health a routine part of life, not something that should be hidden or ignored. It will allow students, no matter their background, to have an opportunity to be seen and potentially connected to resources.
This bill does not medicalize the developmentally appropriate behaviors of children. The screenings are not diagnostic tests or assessments. Teachers and counselors will not diagnose or label students based on a 5 to 10 minute questionnaire. The questionnaires are designed to purely identify red flags among youth. One tool that may be utilized is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The SDQ is a 25-item, self-reported questionnaire that can identify emotional and behavioral issues. There are a wide variety of tools that can be used during these screenings. While the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the State are still in the finalizing stages of implementation, one thing remains true, the tools used must be developmentally appropriate, easy to administer, and non-disruptive. The tools being proposed and studied are not reasonable enough or designed to diagnose students and will not be used in such a way.
One of the concerns that has been mentioned is the bandwidth of the already overworked mental health resources and professionals in Illinois. This concern is to be expected, however, universal mental health screenings have the potential to better manage caseload distribution and interventions. It is no secret that there is a considerable shortage of mental health professionals in the United States. The rollout of screenings provides an opportunity to tailor interventions to better fit the needs of students and professionals. It creates the potential for students with similar symptoms and experiences to utilize group interventions and for those with more taxing symptoms to be identified for referrals.
There are still a lot of ifs and but's that are being thrown around and analyzed in regard to universal mental health screenings, and Illinois still has a long way to go. For Illinois to become a role model for other states, it is critical for us to get it right. This law is effective at the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year. These next two years must be used to address community concerns, and that is a hefty task. How can Illinois ensure that this law is as successful as promised?
Schools and parents must be fully aware of what the decided tool for the screenings is before being handed a consent form. This requires open and honest communication. What does the screening look for? What questions will be asked? Where does the data go?
ISBE and the State must create a streamlined system for follow-up protocols. There must be referral pathways set in stone, which will ensure students do not slip through the cracks. These protocols and standards must take districts’ varying levels of resources into account.
Screenings must be conducted with cultural sensitivity. Students and families from stigmatized and underserved communities may feel apprehensive towards potential assessments and questions. They may fear harmful and unnecessary labels being placed on their children. This is why it is so important to train staff in cultural competency and engage with students and families with understanding and respect.
Illinois has a one of a kind opportunity to set a new standard when it comes to youth mental health. These screenings are not about singling out or labeling students, they are designed to increase support and reduce stigma. Youth mental health has been put in the corner for far too long, and it is time to change that. Universal mental health screenings have the potential to change the way children and families talk about mental health and better support Illinois families.