Congratulations to Gina Cunningham who on Monday, September 15, 2025, successfully defended her dissertation. The title of Gina's dissertation is "SCHOOL LOCKDOWN DRILLS: UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN SUPPORTING STUDENTS."
Overview of Problem: Emergency preparedness measures, and the practice of lockdown drills, are ubiquitous in schools today. Research has investigated, and questions persist regarding, the psychological impact of mandated safety protocols and drills on student’s functioning and mental health (Bonanno et al., 2021). While scholarly attention has focused on building leaders and teachers, it is unclear whether or how school mental health professionals, who presumably are versed in student development, response to traumatic events, and crisis response protocols, are involved in the implementation of lockdown drills
Research Purpose: The purpose of this interpretive inquiry is to describe the role of mental health support staff during the planning, implementation, and assessment of lockdown drills across grades 5-8.
Research Design: Conceptually framed by crisis intervention theory (Caplan, 2013) and using Lazarus and Folkman’s (1987) transactional model of stress and coping as her theoretical lens, this qualitative study seeks to understand the complex emotions that could range from school mental health professionals feeling prepared to fearing for the well-being of students.
Sample & Data Collection: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with school mental health professionals. This qualitative approach will allow for a deeper understanding of their experiences and observations regarding the impact of lockdown drills on students
Dissertation Committee Chair:
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
Dissertation Committee Members:
Dr. Joanne Marien
Dr. Amanda Nickerson
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