While previous studies have focused upon identifying potential school shooters, little is thought concerning the mental health and associated characteristics of scholars who make threats in schools. A study by a team of Stony Brook child psychiatry experts uncovers the wide selection of psychiatric diagnoses, learning disorders, educational and treatment needs of this population. The findings are published early online in a paper within the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

The research team investigated child and adolescent psychiatry threat assessment evaluations of 157 school-age youth (mean age: 13.4), referred to the Stony Brook University Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic (now called the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic at Stony Brook Medicine) by school staff. The youngsters were evaluated on the clinic between 1998 and 2019 and represented 19 school districts encompassing students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Our work relies on 20 years of faculty threat assessment evaluations performed by myself and colleagues.”

Deborah Weisbrot, MD, Lead Creator and Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry on the Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University

“Evaluations of youths who make threats must transcend simply assessing the threat itself and will include identifying underlying psychiatric problems,” she explains. “And psychiatric evaluations of scholars who issue threats of any type can result in revelations about psychiatric diagnoses and crucial treatment and academic recommendations.”

Dr. Weisbrot and colleagues defined a “threat” as an expression of intent to do harm or act out violently against someone or something. Threats were categorized as being either verbal or nonverbal (reminiscent of violent drawings), in addition to people who involved bringing a weapon to highschool.

Of the youngsters within the threat assessment study, details from their records, school history, and actions showed marked similarities and trends:

• Most youths had a number of psychiatric diagnosis reminiscent of attention-deficit/hyperactivity, depressive, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders. Learning disorders were common.
• A history of psychiatric medication treatment was reported in 50 percent, and psychotherapeutic interventions in 37 percent.
• Traumatic family events had occurred in 52 percent.
• Nearly 90 percent reported significant traumatic life experiences.
• 43 percent had a history of being bullied.
• Verbal threats were made by 80 percent of the youngsters.
• 29 percent had brought a weapon to highschool.
• Nearly 52 percent were receiving special education services.

That is the primary study to offer a comprehensive description of the psychiatric characteristics of scholars referred to a baby and adolescent outpatient setting for a threat assessment, thus highlighting the importance of understanding the psychiatric characteristics of all students who make threats reasonably than focusing only on identifying potential school shooters.

They emphasize that the study is of critical importance in that it “demonstrates that psychiatric threat assessment is way more than a risk assessment; additionally it is an intervention providing essential psychiatric and academic treatment recommendations that might change the course of scholars’ educational careers and emotional well-being.”

Source:

Journal reference:

Weisbrot, D.M., et al. (2023) Psychiatric Characteristics of Students Who Make Threats Toward Others at School. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2022.12.016.