Digital triage in adolescent mental health: Toward a situated architecture of care in schools
Keywords:
adolescent mental health, digital triage, school institutions, preventive intervention, collective care, early detectionAbstract
This article analyzes the use of digital triage as a preventive tool for adolescent mental health in school contexts. Based on a qualitative-exploratory approach developed within the framework of the Resilient Minds United (RMU) program in secondary schools in Argentina, and in connection with educational institutions in the United States, the study explores the institutional conditions that enable—or hinder—early interventions in response to psychological distress. It starts from a critical hypothesis: a significant portion of adolescent emotional suffering remains in a “gray zone,” unacknowledged by schools and not yet referred to the healthcare system, often resulting in exclusionary or disciplinary responses. In this scenario, a situated preventive strategy is proposed, grounded in the SURE™ model (Screening, Understanding, Referral, Evaluation), which integrates digital tools with school-based practices of observation, listening, and accompaniment. The article warns against the risks of early medicalization, algorithmic classification, and technocratic implementations of mental health approaches in schools. From a clinical and institutional perspective, it argues that the value of digital triage lies not in its classificatory function, but in its capacity to generate questions, reorganize relational dynamics, and enable new forms of intervention in the face of adolescent suffering. The article contributes to current debates on mental health, prevention, and institutional transformation.
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