Objective Mental illness is a common medical condition to onset during adolescence. Young people who leave for postsecondary life are at an especially challenging period of lifetime when many will leave home and familiar environments for prolonged periods of time. These new circumstances may put young people at risk of developing mental health problems or disorders or exacerbate existing mental disorders. Alternatively, some young people may misinterpret the normal negative emotional states occurring as a result of these new challenges as a mental disorder requiring professional intervention. We conducted a quasiexperimental cohort study to investigate the effectiveness of a mental health literacy intervention Transitions with blended life skills to address these challenges for first-year postsecondary students. Methods Students ( n = 2,397) from five Canadian postsecondary institutions were assigned to the intervention or the control group and were administered a survey at baseline, postintervention, and at 2-month follow-up (September 2017 to February 2018). We applied generalized linear mixed effects (PROC Mixed procedure) to test the between-group difference in the post—pre/follow-up—pre and to determine the predicted least-square mean values. Results The findings showed that students who were exposed to the Transitions intervention significantly improved their mental health knowledge, decreased stigma against mental illness, improved help-seeking attitudes and behaviours, and decreased perceived stress when compared to students who had not been exposed to the intervention. However, we did not identify significant changes in general health. This may be due to the relatively short follow-up time (2 months) to determine participants’ general health status. Conclusions Transitions delivered to first-year postsecondary students may be a beneficial intervention to help young people adjust to their new postsecondary life and improve their mental health.
In this scoping review, the literature on the relationship between dance and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) was consolidated. Research of various forms of dance on psychosocial outcomes among K-6 populations included: increased sense of belonging, violence prevention, and increased creative thinking and problem-solving responses. The dance form, Biodanza, in particular, may be useful in engaging students in the active practice of social skills, appropriate use of body language, self-regulation, self-awareness, and boundaries. We suggest that using dance as a tool for SEL in the classrooms may contribute to improved student mental health and to more inclusive schools.
Transitions (2nd edition) is an evidence-based life-skills resource designed to help post-secondary students transition from high school to college or university. This study was an on-campus evaluation of peer-led seminars of the mental health content from Transitions. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the mental health literacy of three groups of students: master trainers, student trainers, and seminar participants. Post-seminar, there were significant improvements in mental health knowledge and helpseeking, two key components of participants' mental health literacy. This peer-led approach is a feasible option with the potential to improve student mental health literacy within a short time frame.
Mental health literacy (MHL) for pre-service teachers seeks to improve knowledge and help-seeking behaviours and decrease stigma. Increased MHL may also change perceived stress and self-efficacy for inclusive practices. This cohort study evaluates the impact of an online MHL resource for educators, embedded within a mandatory Bachelor of Education (BEd) course, on pre-service teachers’ MHL, perceived stress, and teacher efficacy toward inclusive practices. Seventy-one pre-service teachers completed the course as well as pre- and post-surveys. Results demonstrated significant and substantial improvements on knowledge, help-seeking, and perceived efficacy for inclusive practices. Increased MHL may be an effective approach in meeting the requirements of inclusive education.
Keywords: mental health literacy, pre-service teachers, inclusive education, self-efficacy
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