Active shooter drills in K-12 schools increase anxiety and depression

Researchers applied machine learning and interrupted time series analysis to social media posts from 114 schools spanning 33 states to investigate the lasting impact of active shooter drills on school communities. The study found that anxiety, stress, and depression increased by 39-42% following the drills, but this was accompanied by increases in civic engagement (10-106%). These results, combined with the lack of strong evidence that drills save lives, suggest that proactive school safety strategies may be more effective and less detrimental to mental health than drills.

Read the research: Impacts of school shooter drills on the psychological well-being of American K-12 school communities: a social media study