Sundaram, Neisha;
Lloyd-Houldey, Oliver;
Michalopoulou, Semina;
Hope, Steven;
Sturgess, Joanna;
Allen, Elizabeth;
Legood, Rosa;
... Bonell, Chris; + view all
(2024)
Qualitative study of the feasibility and acceptability of implementation, and potential mechanisms of Learning Together for Mental Health, a whole-school intervention aiming to promote mental health and wellbeing in secondary schools.
Pilot and Feasibility Studies
, 10
, Article 142. 10.1186/s40814-024-01563-8.
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Abstract
Background: Despite high rates of adolescent mental-health problems, there are few effective whole-school interventions to address this. Whole-school interventions offer a feasible and sustainable means of promoting mental health. We previously evaluated the Learning Together (LT) intervention which was effective in preventing bullying (primary outcome), promoting mental well-being, psychological functioning, and reducing substance use (secondary outcomes). We adapted LT to develop Learning Together for Mental Health (LTMH) with a new menu of evidence-based actions to address mental health and an enhanced SEL curriculum. // Methods: We undertook a feasibility study of LTMH, a whole-school intervention featuring needs assessment, student and staff participation in decision-making via action groups selecting actions from an evidence-based menu, restorative practice, and a SEL and resilience skills curriculum between 2022 and 2023. This article examines the feasibility, acceptability, and potential mechanisms of LTMH, qualitatively, drawing on interviews and focus groups with 49 students in years 8 and 10, and 20 staff across four state secondary schools in southern England. // Results: The intervention was feasible and acceptable to implement. In terms of feasibility, the SEL curriculum was the most challenging to implement and was not prioritised by schools that had existing social and emotional learning lessons. Training and external facilitation were well-rated. Some schools struggled with the resourcing and workload implications of implementing actions from the evidence-based menu. Some aspects were not clear. Some staff were not aware that the various components worked together. Needs reports were not easy to understand for all. Students were generally supportive of restorative practice and SEL lessons. Data supported a potential mechanism involving increased school belonging and developing practical knowledge and skills to manage emotions and relationships. The intervention has little potential for harm. // Conclusions: The intervention is ready for phase III trial with minor adaptations. A phase III trial of effectiveness is justified. // Trial registration: ISRCTN15301591 https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15301591
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Qualitative study of the feasibility and acceptability of implementation, and potential mechanisms of Learning Together for Mental Health, a whole-school intervention aiming to promote mental health and wellbeing in secondary schools |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s40814-024-01563-8 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-024-01563-8 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| Keywords: | Mental health; Whole-school intervention; Adolescent; Schools; Restorative practice |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10200486 |
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