How school-based health centers help children's mental health and school success
A Multidisciplinary, Mixed Methods Analysis of the Implementation and Efficacy of School-Based Health Centers and Mechanisms through which SBHCs Improve Child Mental Health and Education Outcomes
This project looks at whether health centers located in public schools help young children on Medicaid feel better mentally and do better in school.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11243327 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a parent in Tennessee, this project links Medicaid and school records from 2006–2025 to follow children's health and school outcomes over time. Researchers will compare children who attend schools that opened a school-based health center with similar children whose schools did not, using rigorous quasi-experimental methods. The team will also collect qualitative information, such as interviews, to understand how school health centers change access to care and support for children. The focus is on which program features help mental health and educational outcomes, especially for underserved groups.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children who attend Tennessee public schools and have been enrolled in Medicaid at any point between 2006 and 2025, especially those at schools that opened or later received a school-based health center, are the focus of this work.
Not a fit: Children who do not attend Tennessee public schools, are never enrolled in Medicaid, attend private schools, or live outside Tennessee are unlikely to be included or directly benefit from this specific study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide policies and practices that make school health centers better at improving children's mental health and school performance.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research indicates school-based health centers can improve access and some health outcomes, but long-term, rigorous evidence on effects for child mental health and educational achievement—particularly across underserved groups—is limited.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, UNITED STATES
- Vanderbilt University — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heinrich, Carolyn — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Heinrich, Carolyn
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.