Effects of a Universal School-Based Mental Health Program on the Self-concept, Coping Skills, and Perceptions of Social Support of Students with Developmental Disabilities

In a cluster randomized control trial, a school-based mental health program combining mental health literacy and dialectical behavior skills was implemented by teachers to determine effects on protective factors related to resilience for students in 3rd–12th grade. As part of a larger study, a subsample of 113 students with developmental disabilities attending 37 classrooms participated. Student-reported measures of self-concept, coping skills, and social support were collected three times in the year. Results indicated large effect sizes for the program on all measures, which pertain to time × group interactions (g = 1.53, 1.91, and 0.86 for self-concept, coping, and social support respectively). Follow-up analyses indicated that gains for the intervention schools primarily occurred between the first two assessment periods when the majority of program content was delivered. Implications for universal school-based mental health programming for students with developmental disabilities are discussed.