A randomised controlled trial evaluating the Guide Cymru mental health literacy intervention programme in year 9 (age 13–14) school pupils in Wales

Abstract

Background Adolescent mental health has become a public health concern as 10–20% of adolescents have experiences with mental health problems. Improving mental health education is critical to reducing stigma and improving access to appropriate care when needed. Here we examine the impact of a mental health literacy programme (Guide Cymru) in young adolescents in the UK. A randomised controlled trial assessed the effectiveness of the Guide Cymru intervention. Method A total of 1,926 pupils (860 males and 1066 females) aged 13–14 (year 9) took part in the study. The secondary schools were randomised into the active and control arms of the study. Teachers in the active arm of the study were trained on the Guide Cymru and then delivered the intervention to their pupils. Pupils in the active groups received six modules of mental health literacy (the Guide Cymru), and control schools received teaching as usual. Mental health literacy across several domains (e.g., knowledge, stigma, help-seeking intentions) were assessed both before and after the intervention. Data collection for the randomised controlled trial ran from September 2019 to March 2020. Multi-level modelling analysis was conducted to account for the clustered nature of the design. Results All aspects of mental health literacy, including mental health knowledge (g = 0.32), good mental health behaviours (g = 0.22), mental health stigmas (g = 0.16), intentions to seek help (g = 0.15), and avoidant coping (g = 0.14) improved after completing the Guide Cymru programme (ps < .001). Discussion The current study presents evidence for the Guide Cymru’s effectiveness in improving secondary school pupils' mental health literacy. We demonstrate that providing teachers with appropriate resources and training to deliver the Guide Cymru programme within their classrooms can improve the mental health literacy of pupils. These findings have important implications for the beneficial impacts the secondary school system can have on reducing the burden of mental health problems at a critical point in a young person’s life. Trial registration ISRCTN15462041. Registered 03/10/2019.

Child and youth mental health and wellbeing before and after returning to in-person learning in secondary schools in the context of COVID-19

“…Research has identified how improving educators’ mental health literacy can enhance the early identification of mental health problems and referral of students in need of help to appropriate mental health care ( 46 , 47 ). Also embedding mental health literacy in the classroom teaching has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving students’ capacity to take care of their own mental health and the mental health of people they care about ( 34 , 48 , 49 ). Parent mental health literacy interventions are emerging, however, there are limited studies with mixed quality to determine their overall effectiveness ( 50 ).…”

The effects of an adapted mental health literacy curriculum for secondary school students in Germany on mental health knowledge and help-seeking efficacy: results of a quasi-experimental pre-post evaluation study

“…The school-based MHL intervention, entitled “The Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide” was previously evaluated and used in cross national contexts. So far, the MHC has proven to significantly improve mental health knowledge and stigmatizing attitudes directly after its application ( 29 , 30 ), at a 2 months – ( 31 , 32 ) as well as a 1 year follow-up ( 33 ). Fewer studies have focused on its effectiveness in terms of improving help-seeking efficacy.…”

“…Fewer studies have focused on its effectiveness in terms of improving help-seeking efficacy. While one report and one randomized controlled study show benefits (30,34) another study found no improvements in help-seeking intentions (35). The MHC is an evidence-based teaching manual for improving MHL of students and teachers alike (36).…”