Helping Students Overcome Depression and Anxiety, Second Edition

Kenneth W. Merrell, PhD, until his death in 2011, was Professor of School Psychology and Director of the Oregon Resiliency Project at the University of Oregon. For 25 years, Dr. Merrell's influential teaching and research focused on social-emotional assessment and intervention for at-risk children and adolescents and social-emotional learning in schools. He published over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles; several books and nationally normed assessment instruments; and the Strong Kids programs, a comprehensive social and emotional learning curriculum. Dr. Merrell was a Fellow of the Division of School Psychology (Division 16) and the Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53) of the American Psychological Association. He received the Senior Scientist Award from Division 16, the Division's highest honor for excellence in science.

"This exceptionally useful book synthesizes essential knowledge regarding internalizing problems: what they are, how they can best be recognized and assessed, and which specific interventions can produce successful outcomes. Balancing the importance of treatment fidelity with client specificity and real-world practicality, Merrell masterfully integrates contemporary research with his clinical experience in school-based settings. He offers clear, intelligent guidelines for facilitating real change in children and for promoting their optimal social and emotional well-being. Both university trainers and practitioners will find this a superb resource for how to really link assessment to intervention for internalizing problems at individual, family, and school-wide levels. Among the many strengths of this excellent book are the inclusion of social and emotional learning programs for promoting mental health, presented in just the right amount of detail, and the concise informational summary of medications, other treatments, and referral guidelines. I plan to use this text in my classes in child/adolescent interventions and in my own clinical practice. I highly recommend it!"--Harriet Cobb, EdD, Combined-Integrated Doctoral Program in Clinical and School Psychology, James Madison University"The second edition of this highly regarded book retains the excellent qualities of the original volume. It is well written, easily understandable by the beginning graduate student, and yet clearly of value to the experienced practitioner. The book is highly practical and accessible, contains much hands-on information, and evaluates interventions in terms of their theoretical and empirical support. The important new chapter on social and emotional learning as part of a three-tiered intervention approach expands the discussion currently underway about response-to-intervention models. Faculty will find this book well suited to graduate-level courses in school psychology and counseling; graduate students will welcome its balance between foundational material and practical application."--Caroline H. Wandle, PhD, Director, School Psychology Program, Department of Education, Tufts University"Depression and anxiety are widely experienced among children and adolescents yet are frequently overlooked and undertreated, especially in schools. In this updated and highly useful guide, Merrell provides a practical, evidence-based approach to the assessment and treatment of these two disorders. A particularly useful addition to the second edition is the information presented on social and emotional learning and its utility for mental health promotion. This text fills a major need among mental health professionals working in schools, including school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. In addition, it is an excellent text for college and university courses in developmental psychopathology, cognitive-behavioral therapy, child/adolescent counseling and psychotherapy, and school-based interventions."--David N. Miller, PhD, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York- Practicality is the strength of the book. Guidelines are clear and the diversity of programs introduced provides the reader with ability to choose those which are most relevant and implementable in their schools or other settings. The clinical and educational aspects of problem management are well presented and professionals with different levels of involvement in child and youth health care can all benefit. The style and scope of the book can accommodate a wide diversity of settings and clients, on both international and multicultural levels....The author manages to simplify issues to permit the reader to comprehend them properly and put those understandings into practice, yet the text also preserves an appreciation of the complexity and sensitivity of the problems....The book is well organized and indexed to help people from different professions to benefit equally within their own perspectives. It is a valuable addition to any library. --Educational Review, 1/16/2008ƒƒ There are many things to like about this book....While techniques presented are eclectic, most are influenced by cognitive-behavioral and psychoeducational approaches. Of particular appeal is that these strategies are practical and can be used in the school setting. Guidelines are provided as to how to adapt techniques to students of different age and ability levels....Potential difficulties that might arise during assessment and intervention and how to handle and resolve these are provided. Of particular value are the many reproducible worksheets corresponding to various assessment and treatment approaches. --NASP Communiqué, 1/16/2008ƒƒ Merrell offers in this work a comprehensive survey of the budding literature on the subject, available programs for addressing the growing crisis in children's mental health, and, especially impressive, a smorgasbord of technical responses for prevention and intervention....Merrell's guidebook is an excellent refresher course for professionals working in the field of child and adolescent counseling. The strongest benefit of this guidebook resides in the wealth of intervention techniques that are outlined in great detail and complemented with tracking charts and self-scoring registers to map client successes and challenges....Merrell's guidebook offers the professional mental health counselor a wealth of options for treatments of depression and anxiety in young people. But parents and teachers as well would greatly benefit from keeping this guidebook on hand and applying its various innovative strategies in helping their young wards to deal successfully with an increasingly alienating and isolating, industrialized, consumerist world. --Metapsychology Online Reviews, 1/16/2008

• 1. Understanding Internalizing Problems: Depression and Anxiety in Children and Adolescents2. How Internalizing Problems Develop and Are Maintained3. Guidelines for Assessment and Intervention Planning4. Social and Emotional Learning: An Important Tool for Promoting Mental Health5. Comprehensive Intervention Programs for Depression6. Changing Thoughts and Beliefs: Cognitive Therapy Interventions for Depression7. Changing Thoughts and Beliefs: Rational-Emotive Therapy, Attribution Retraining, Learned Optimism, and Journal-Writing Strategies8. Other Strategies for Depression9. Behavioral Treatments for Anxiety: Systematic Desensitization and Other Techniques10. Skills Training and Other Treatments for Anxiety11. Finding More Help: Referral Guidelines for Mental Health Counseling, Medications, and Alternative Treatments*Index of Intervention Programs and General Intervention Strategies, with Descriptions of Purpose and Developmental Level*List of Specific Treatment Techniques for Depression and Anxiety, Grouped by Program Component*Appendix: Reproducible Worksheets