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Emotional Disturbance (ED) is one category under which a student can be evaluated and determined eligible to receive special education and related services. Students who experience ED are at greater risk for a host of negative long-term outcomes that include poor social, behavioral, and academic achievement in school, which in turn may impact graduation and postsecondary outcomes. In this article, we provide historical context and current data to highlight contemporary issues surrounding the needs and education of students with ED. Specifically, we present child-count data and descriptions of students that are currently served in the ED category. We provide information about the frequency and types of disciplinary events students with ED experience and discuss associated secondary and postsecondary outcomes. We summarize positive achievements and continued challenges within the field. Finally, derived from the ongoing unmet needs of students with and at risk for ED, we recommend (a) revision of the current Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act terminology and eligibility criteria to a more comprehensive education-based definition; (b) regular universal screening for signs of social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems; (c) use of multitiered systems of support that offer preventive interventions to address the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of all students, particularly when they first emerge; and (d) integrated delivery models that allow greater access to related services to enhance the benefits of special education for students with ED.

In this article, we follow up on recommendations from the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH) for providing school mental health (SMH) services by offering additional implementation suggestions for teachers and school staff. We highlight the need for and urgency of SMH services, particularly during and after the pandemic, and also consider broad issues that interfere with the success of SMH. We then provide a number of specific recommendations for integrating the delivery of SMH services within a tiered system of supports that are intended to empower school staff to move toward implementation. Last, we address how effective implementation can be facilitated by strong administrative support along with capacity building.

The Peacock Hill Working Group (PHWG) published a seminal position article nearly 30 years ago on the state of the field of special education for children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). They concluded their discussion with a set of recommendations for practice, policy, and research. The purpose of the present article is to revisit the PHWG’s calls to the field with an emphasis on setting a research agenda related to children and youth with EBD. As a follow-up to the problems and promises identified by the PHWG, we identify progress and priorities for each of their six calls for research to improve outcomes for students with EBD. We address the broader context underlying each recommendation and how it has changed over time, describe research progress to date, and identify priorities to move the field forward. The overarching goal of this article is to inform and help shape the next phase of research on EBD, which in turn will advance the implementation and scale-up of effective programs and practices to better meet the needs of students with EBD in schools.

Purpose While the rate of survival has increased in the past decade, the diagnosis of breast cancer is an extremely stressful experience for patients and it is associated with the manifestation of several psychological problems. To examine the effect of a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on the quality of life and emotional disturbance of women with breast cancer. Methods The study was a randomized controlled clinical trial. Samples were 48 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone mastectomy and chemotherapy. Study variables were measured before and after the intervention and 1 month after the end of the intervention as a follow-up. Controls received nothing and were just followed-up. Repeated measure ANOVAs were used to compare the effectiveness of the intervention on the study variables. Results The results of 32 women were analyzed. The increase in quality of life scores was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group ( P  < 0.05). There were also significantly lower changes in the depression, anxiety, and stress scores of the intervention group ( P  < 0.05). However, the changes in the score of death anxiety were not significantly lower in the intervention group in comparison to controls ( P  > 0.05). Conclusion Group cognitive behavioral therapy was effective in the improvement of quality of life and decreases some aspects of emotional disturbance. Findings of this study suggest that women with breast cancer can benefit from group CBT. Yet, some aspects of the mental health of these women may need more attention and individualized methods. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: IRCT20100911004728N4

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) could be considered some of the most challenging students to serve in schools. The need for effective interventions for these students is ever-present. To design and implement empirical studies to better inform the field of EBDs, researchers must have a firm understanding of the most up-to-date intervention literature. The purpose of this targeted quantitative synthesis is to create such a knowledge base for the field of EBDs. Results from 55 studies indicate a declining focus on intervention research for students with EBDs in the last 10 years (2010–2019). Of the intervention research available, the quality (40% did not meet What Works Clearinghouse standards) and effectiveness on student outcomes across academic, behavioral, and social skills domains was variable (between-case standardized mean difference [BC-SMD] = 0.13–8.26, Hedges’ g = −0.30 to 1.29). Future directions for the field of EBDs are included.

The purpose of the current study was to examine perceptions of school climate among students who self-identify as having an emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD) and their counterparts without disabilities on the Georgia Student Health Survey 2.0. Although research examining the link between perceptions of school climate and student outcomes has increased, no research has examined how students with disabilities, particularly those with EBD, perceive school climate, and the relation of those perceptions to outcomes including peer victimization and mental health problems. The current study found that in comparison with students without disabilities (SWOD), students with EBD (SWEBD) reported significantly lower perceptions of school climate and significantly higher rates of mental health problems and peer victimization. Perceptions of school climate and mental health were inversely associated with reports of victimization among both SWOD and SWEBD. We discuss how educational leaders can improve school climate for SWEBD through tiered systems of supports such as School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports to support mental health and reduce peer victimization.

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) consistently lag behind their peers academically and behaviorally, are likely to be excluded from school, drop out more frequently, and face higher incarceration rates and a host of other negative outcomes as adults. Federal policy has played a key role in (a) ensuring that students with disabilities are included in schools, (b) requiring schools to meet the unique needs of learners, and (c) providing funding to support the development and implementation of evidence-based practices. Our purpose in this article is to examine the progress and challenges related to the development of federal policy supports for students with EBD, and to offer recommendations to help guide the future development of policy. Specifically, we (a) recognize the important developments of the last 30 years in policy protections and funding for students with EBD, (b) identify current challenges and emerging opportunities in several areas related to the identification and support of students with EBD, and (c) offer policy recommendations related to strengthening the use of the functional assessment and personnel capacity development.

This study examined the internal structure of the Scales for Assessing Emotional Disturbance-3 Rating Scale (RS), a teacher-completed RS developed to measure emotional disturbance (ED). As defined in U.S. law and regulations, ED involves five characteristics or patterns of behavioral and emotional maladaptation. RS data obtained on a sample of students with ED were used to examine validity evidence based on the internal structure of the assessment. Of particular interest was the extent to which multivariate factors derived from the RS data conform to the five characteristics of ED stated in the definition. Results indicate that the RS data fit a 5-factor model reasonably well. A subsequent bifactor analysis identified a considerable proportion of common variance across factors, suggesting the presence of a strong general ED factor, two distinct group factors (Inability to Learn and Inappropriate Behavior), and three weak group factors. The findings provided evidence of the validity of the SAED-3 RS based on internal structure and pointed to support for use of the RS in contributing to the process of determining whether a student qualifies for the ED education disability. Implications for improved research on the nature of ED and how students with ED can be better served are discussed.

Although daily hassles and coping are associated with behavior and emotional problems in non-clinical populations, few studies have investigated these relationships in individuals with high-functioning autism/Asperger’s Disorder (HFASD). This study examined the relationships between daily hassles, coping and behavior and emotional problems in adolescents with HFASD. Thirty-one adolescents with HFASD completed questionnaires assessing their coping and behavior and emotional problems, and completed an Ecological Momentary Assessment run via a mobile phone application on their coping and daily hassles. Parents completed questionnaires of the adolescents’ daily hassles, coping, and behavior and emotional problems. The disengagement coping style was associated with significantly higher levels of behavior and emotional problems regardless of respondent or methodology, suggesting it may be a valuable target for intervention.

For years, the research and policy focus on Black students with emotional disturbance (ED) has been on racial disproportionality. The disproportionality issue has sparked professional debate and raised major questions about racial bias, cultural fairness, appropriateness of assessment instruments, the adequacy of special education programs, poverty, exposure to risk factors, and research approaches. Unfortunately, minimal progress has been made on understanding the overrepresentation of Black students in ED programs. The purpose of the present study was to initiate research on the emotional and behavioral functioning of Black students with ED, by comparing the teacher-completed ratings from the Scales for Assessing Emotional Disturbance for Black students with ED (n = 139), Black students without ED (n = 421), White students with ED (n = 271), and White students without ED (n = 1,218). The results demonstrated that (a) Black students with ED were judged to demonstrate significantly higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems than their Black and White peers without ED, and (b) Black students with ED differed minimally from White students with ED. Research limitations, directions for future research, and implications for assessment and service delivery are discussed.