A majority — more than 75 percent — of New Jersey parents of middle and high school students recognize the benefits of screening and early detection of depression risk in adolescents but many express concerns about potential unintended consequences of screening, according to a survey of New Jersey parents and guardians of children ages 12 to 18.
The statewide survey, which was fielded by the Rutgers Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling in March 2022 on behalf of Project ASPEN, assessed parents’ views regarding a recent state law (formerly bill A970), the Mental Health Screening in Schools Grant Program within the Department of Education, that will provide funding and resources to school districts to implement evidence-based depression screening programs to identify students in grades 7 through 12 at risk of depression. To read the full story.