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Adolescence is a critical period for the promotion of mental health and the treatment of mental disorders. Schools are well-positioned to address adolescent mental health. This paper describes a school mental health model, “School-based Pathway to Care,” for Canadian secondary schools that links schools to primary care providers, mental health services, and the wider community, enabling them to address youth mental health in a collaborative manner. The model highlights the fundamental role of mental health literacy, gatekeeper training, and education/health system integration in improving adolescent mental health, and enhancing learning environments and academic outcomes.L’adolescence constitue une période critique pour la promotion de la santé mentale ainsi que le traitement des désordres mentaux. En ce sens, les écoles sont bien placées pour s’attaquer aux problèmes de santé mentale vécus par les adolescents. Cet article trace le portrait d’un modèle de santé mentale en milieu scolaire, le modèle “School-based Pathway to Care”, modèle déployé au sein d’écoles secondaires canadiennes. Celui-ci met en lien les établissements scolaires avec les institutions fournissant des soins de santé de base et des services de santé mentale. Ce faisant, il permet aux différents intervenants de collaborer, s’attaquant ainsi ensemble aux problématiques de santé mentale des jeunes. Ce modèle souligne l’importance de la littérature portant sur la santé mentale, de la formation des surveillants et de l’intégration des systèmes d’éducation et de santé dans l’amélioration de la santé mentale des adolescents, des environnements scolaires et des résultats académiques

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Despite the need for improving mental health literacy (MHL) among young people in low-and middle-income countries little research is available. Schools are an ideal location in which to address mental health literacy. A Canadian school-based mental health literacy resource was adapted for application in sub-Saharan Africa called the African Guide (AG). The AG is a classroom ready curriculum resource addressing all aspects of mental health literacy. Herein we provide teacher reported activity impacts and MHL outcomes from the implementation of the AG in Tanzania. Following training, survey data addressing teacher reported AG impact and MHL outcomes was collected at three time points over a one year period. Over a period of one year, 32 teachers from 29 different schools reported that over: 4,600 students were taught MHL; 150 peer teachers were trained on the AG; 390 students approached teachers with a mental health concern; 450 students were referred to previously trained community care providers for diagnosis and treatment of Depression; and most students were considered to have demonstrated improved or very much improved knowledge, attitudes and help-seeking efficacy, with similar outcomes reported for teachers. Results of this study demonstrate a substantial positive impact on MHL related activities and outcomes for both students and teachers using the AG resource in Tanzania. Taken together with previously published research on enhancing MHL in both Malawi and Tanzania, if replicated in another setting, these results will provide additional support for the scale up of this intervention across sub-Saharan Africa.

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Application of evidence‐based mental health literacy (MHL) curriculum resources by classroom teachers has been demonstrated to significantly improve knowledge and decrease stigma in the short term. Aims To report results that extend these positive findings for a period of one year. Method In a naturalistic cohort study, 332 grade 9 students (ages 14–15) in a Canadian school district learned from an evidence‐based curriculum resource (the Guide) applied by classroom teachers who trained in its use. Evaluations of knowledge and stigma were conducted before the Guide, immediately following the Guide delivery and at one‐year follow‐up. Results Students showed significant (p < .001) and substantial (d = 0.68 and 0.67) short‐term and significant (p < .001) and substantial (d = 0.44 and 0.58) long‐term improvements in knowledge and reductions in stigma. Significant stigma reduction was found among female students than male students, but no gender differences on knowledge were found at long‐term follow‐up. Educators showed significant and substantial short‐term improvements in knowledge (p < .001; d = 1.03) and reductions in stigma (p < .05; d = 0.35). Conclusions The Guide resource delivered by trained classroom teachers may have value in enhancing MHL outcomes for young people.

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