scholarly journals A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health (BEAM) Training Program: Trial Protocol (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Louise Parker ◽  
Cassandra Chakouch ◽  
Mirjana Subotic-Kerry ◽  
Philip J Batterham ◽  
Andrew Mackinnon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

BACKGROUND In Australia, secondary school educators are well positioned to recognize mental illness among students and provide support. However, many report that they lack the knowledge and confidence to do so, and very few mental health training programs available for educators are evidence-based. To address this gap, the Black Dog Institute developed a web-based training program (Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health; BEAM) that aims to improve mental health knowledge, confidence, and helping behaviors among secondary school educators in leadership positions. A pilot study of the training program found it to be positively associated with increased confidence and helping behaviors among educators and reduced their psychological distress. An adequately powered Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is now needed. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this cluster RCT is to evaluate the effectiveness of the BEAM program for improving educators’ confidence in managing student mental health. The trial will also evaluate the effect of the BEAM program in increasing educators’ frequency of providing help to students and improving their mental health knowledge, and reducing educators’ psychological distress and stigma towards students with mental health issues. METHODS The target sample size is N=234 educators in 47 secondary schools across New South Wales, Australia. Four waves of recruitment and enrolment into the trial are planned. Schools will participate in one wave only and will be randomized to the intervention or waitlist control conditions. Participants from the same school will be assigned to the same condition. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-test (10-weeks after baseline) and follow-up (22-weeks after baseline) using the Black Dog Institute e-health research platform. Intervention participants will receive access to the BEAM program for 10-weeks upon completion of baseline and the control condition will receive access for 10-weeks upon completion of the follow-up assessment. RESULTS Recruitment for this trial began on 21st July 2020, with the first baseline assessments occurring on 17th August 2020. To date, 295 participants from 71 schools have completed baseline. Due to the unexpected success of recruitment in the first three waves, the final fourth wave has been abandoned. Intervention participants are currently receiving the program with follow-up due for completion in March 2021. CONCLUSIONS This is one of the first RCTs to examine the effectiveness of a web-based, adolescent mental health training program for Australian secondary school educators in leadership positions. If found to be effective, this training program will offer a sustainable and scalable delivery method for upskilling educators in caring for students’ mental health. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12620000876998; registered 03/09/2020) and Universal Trial Number (U1111-1253-3176).

scholarly journals The Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health Training Program for Secondary School Educators: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/25870 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e25870
Author(s):  
Belinda L Parker ◽  
Cassandra Chakouch ◽  
Mirjana Subotic-Kerry ◽  
Philip J Batterham ◽  
Andrew Mackinnon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

Background In Australia, secondary school educators are well positioned to recognize mental illness among students and provide support. However, many report that they lack the knowledge and confidence to do so, and few mental health training programs available for educators are evidence based. To address this gap, the Black Dog Institute (BDI) developed a web-based training program (Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health [BEAM]) that aims to improve mental health knowledge, confidence, and helping behaviors among secondary school educators in leadership positions. A pilot study of the training program found it to be positively associated with increased confidence and helping behaviors among educators and reduced personal psychological distress. An adequately powered randomized controlled trial (RCT) is needed. Objective The primary objective of this cluster RCT is to evaluate the effectiveness of the BEAM program for improving educators’ confidence in managing student mental health. The trial will also evaluate the effect of the BEAM program in increasing educators’ frequency of providing help to students and improving their mental health knowledge and reducing educators’ psychological distress and stigma toward students with mental health issues. Methods The target sample size is 234 educators from 47 secondary schools across New South Wales, Australia. Four waves of recruitment and enrollment into the trial are planned. Schools will participate in one wave only and will be randomized to the intervention or waitlist control conditions. Participants from the same school will be assigned to the same condition. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, posttest (10 weeks after baseline), and follow-up (22 weeks after baseline) using the BDI eHealth research platform. Intervention participants will receive access to the BEAM program for 10 weeks upon completion of baseline, and the control condition will receive access for 10 weeks upon completion of the follow-up assessment. Results Recruitment for this trial began on July 21, 2020, with the first baseline assessments occurring on August 17, 2020. To date, 295 participants from 71 schools have completed baseline. Due to the unexpected success of recruitment in the first 3 waves, the final fourth wave has been abandoned. Intervention participants are currently receiving the program, with follow-up due for completion in March 2021. Conclusions This is one of the first RCTs to examine the effectiveness of a web-based adolescent mental health training program for Australian secondary school educators in leadership positions. If found to be effective, this training program will offer a sustainable and scalable delivery method for upskilling educators in caring for students’ mental health. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620000876998; https://covid-19.cochrane.org/studies/crs-14669208 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/25870

Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health (BEAM): Examining the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of a web-based training program for Australian secondary school teachers. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Louise Parker ◽  
Melissa Anderson ◽  
Philip J Batterham ◽  
Aimee Gayed ◽  
Mirjana Subotic-Kerry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Post Test

BACKGROUND Secondary schools are increasingly supporting adolescent students’ mental health and wellbeing, yet many teachers report that they lack the skills and confidence to do so. The Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health (BEAM) is a web-based training program developed to improve secondary school teachers’ knowledge and confidence in caring for students’ mental health. OBJECTIVE This pilot study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of this new training program for improving mental health knowledge, attitudes, confidence, helping behaviors and psychological distress among secondary school teachers. METHODS A single arm, pre-post pilot trial was conducted from July to December 2019 among secondary school teachers located in New South Wales, Australia, who were in leadership positions responsible for managing student wellbeing (i.e., Year Advisors). Participants had access to the BEAM program for six weeks. Self-report surveys, delivered at baseline, post-intervention (6-weeks post-baseline) and follow-up (19 weeks post-baseline) were used to measure changes in mental health outcomes. Acceptability was assessed by program use, barriers, satisfaction, and participants’ perceptions of program effectiveness. RESULTS A total of 70 secondary school teachers took part (Mage=36.5 years, SD=9.41, range=24-60). Significant improvements in confidence were reported at post-test and follow-up, as well as psychological distress at post-test, and helping behaviors at follow-up. Participants agreed that the program was easy to understand and relevant; but completion was challenged by lack of time, competing priorities, and forgetfulness. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that the BEAM program may be an effective way to enhance secondary school teachers’ abilities to care for students’ mental health; however, modifications are required to improve adherence and attrition. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12619000821190; Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111-1232-7680.

scholarly journals A Self-Administered Multicomponent Web-Based Mental Health Intervention for the Mexican Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Dominguez-Rodriguez ◽  
Anabel De La Rosa-Gómez ◽  
M Jesús Hernández Jiménez ◽  
Paulina Arenas-Landgrave ◽  
Sofía Cristina Martínez-Luna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Behavioral Activation ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Randomized Controlled

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has become a public health emergency of international concern; it has not only threatened people's physical health but has also affected their mental health and psychological well-being. It is necessary to develop and offer strategies to reduce the psychological impact of the outbreak and promote adaptive coping. OBJECTIVE This study protocol aims to describe a self-administered web-based intervention (Mental Health COVID-19) based on the principles of positive psychology supported by elements of cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral activation therapy to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression and increase positive emotions and sleep quality during and after the COVID-19 outbreak through a telepsychology system. METHODS A randomized controlled clinical superiority trial with two independent groups will be performed, with intrasubject measures at four evaluation periods: pretest, posttest, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: self-administered intervention with assistance via chat or self-administered intervention without assistance via chat. The total required sample size will be 166 participants (83 per group). RESULTS The clinical trial is ongoing. This protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the Free School of Psychology-University of Behavioral Sciences (Escuela libre de Psicología-Universidad de Ciencias del Comportamiento). The aim is to publish the preliminary results in December 2020. A conservative approach will be adopted, and the size effect will be estimated using the Cohen <i>d</i> index with a significance level (α) of .05 (95% reliability) and a conventional 80% power statistic. CONCLUSIONS The central mechanism of action will be to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention based on positive psychology through a web platform that can be delivered through computers and tablets, with content that has been rigorously contextualized to the Mexican culture to provide functional strategies to help the target users cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04468893; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04468893 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/23117

scholarly journals Mental Health Literacy Intervention on Help-Seeking in Athletes: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7263
Author(s):  
Danran Bu ◽  
Pak-Kwong Chung ◽  
Chun-Qing Zhang ◽  
Jingdong Liu ◽  
Xiang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

Mental health literacy (MHL) is recognised as a major factor in whether athletes seek help when they experience mental health difficulties. Therefore, the current study aimed to provide a systematic review of the effectiveness of MHL training programmes in improving mental health knowledge and help-seeking and reducing stigma among athletes. To identify intervention studies of MHL programmes, five electronic databases were systematically searched for articles published before May 2020. The selection procedure was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All kinds of study designs were included. Effect sizes were calculated for mental health knowledge, stigma reduction and help-seeking attitudes, intentions and behaviours. Risk of bias was assessed for each study using the Cochrane tool and the Newcastle–Ottawa quality assessment scale. Five studies (1239 participants in total) were selected for review. Overall, either small or medium effects were found for mental health knowledge, stigma reduction, help-seeking attitudes, and intentions for post- and follow-up interventions, whereas a null effect was found in help-seeking behaviours for both post- and follow-up interventions. Furthermore, three studies had a low risk of bias, and two had a high risk of bias. MHL interventions can enhance help-seeking attitudes and intentions and mental health knowledge and reduce stigma but do not increase help-seeking behaviours for now. Further studies should evaluate interventions to enhance help-seeking behaviours. Furthermore, the methodological quality of studies, including randomized controlled trials and other designs, should be improved in future research.

Secondary school Year Advisors’ perspectives on their role, responsibilities and training needs for student mental health: Insights from a co-design workshop

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridianne O'Dea ◽  
Melissa Anderson ◽  
Mirjana Subotic-Kerry ◽  
Belinda Parker
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Student Mental Health ◽  
School Year ◽  
Design Workshop

Abstract Anxiety and depression commonly emerge during adolescence and secondary schools are well placed to recognise deteriorations in young people’s mental health. In Australian secondary schools, Year Advisors (or year co-ordinators), have been identified as key teaching staff for assisting students with their mental health and facilitating help-seeking. However, there is little understanding of the responsibilities of this role and the mental health training needs of these educators. In December 2017, 12 secondary school Year Advisors from NSW, Australia, took part in a one-day co-design workshop that explored their current role in caring for student mental health and developed a resource that matched their training needs. This paper explores the insights generated from this workshop and outlines a way to engage end-users in the design of mental health training programs. The workshop attendees strongly supported the development of an adolescent mental health training program that was specific to the Year Advisor role, improved their knowledge of adolescent mental health, and developed their skills and confidence to support students in need.

scholarly journals Understanding mental health and wellbeing among aboriginal postsecondary students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Joy Davey
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Aboriginal Students ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth in Canada report higher rates of mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, addiction and suicide) issues than the non-Aboriginal population of youth, which impacts their ability to achieve their educational goals. Understanding mental health from an Aboriginal worldview and through culturally safe strategies designed to translate mental health information to Aboriginal people is lacking. The objectives of the present study were to develop, implement and evaluate a knowledge translation (KT) strategy to enhance wellbeing knowledge and self-efficacy in coping with mental health issues among Aboriginal postsecondary students using a community-based approach. The Tool Development Phase involved focus groups and interviews with Aboriginal post-secondary students (n=9) and community members (n=3) to develop a KT activity. The KT Phase involved a pre/post design where participants (n=4) were asked about their mental health knowledge and self-efficacy in improving their wellbeing prior to and after the KT activity. All students participated in an individual interview one month later about their knowledge and the helpfulness of activity. Key informants (n=4) were interviewed during a Follow-Up and Debriefing phase regarding the community-based approach. Mental health was defined wholistically, as related to community and as being impacted by identity, stigma, cultural connection, intergenerational trauma, and a clash between Aboriginal and positivist Western worldviews. KT preferences included incorporating traditional ceremonies; covering particular topics such as resources, traditional teachings and coping strategies; and incorporating active participation. The KT activity increased knowledge and self-efficacy related to mental health and some knowledge was retained and used at one-month follow-up. As well, participants appreciated the sense of community that the activity created and provided feedback regarding what could be changed (e.g., more active participation). Key informants thought the project addressed some community needs and that it was built on relationships. This study will contribute to increasing the wellbeing of Aboriginal students by expanding upon their mental health knowledge, and sense of self-efficacy in coping with their own mental health issues, with the aim of addressing mental health barriers to the completion of post-secondary education among Aboriginal students.

scholarly journals A randomised controlled trial of repeated filmed social contact on reducing mental illness-related stigma in young adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Koike ◽  
S. Yamaguchi ◽  
Y. Ojio ◽  
K. Ohta ◽  
T. Shimada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Intended Behaviour

Aims.Public stigma alters attitudes towards people with mental illness, and is a particular concern for young people since most mental health problems occur in adolescence and young adulthood. However, little is known about the long-term effects of repeated filmed social contact (FSC) on reducing mental health-related stigma among young adults in the general population, compared with self-instructional Internet search (INS) and control interventions.Methods.This study is a parallel-group randomised controlled trial over 12 months conducted in Tokyo, Japan. A total of 259 university students (male n = 150, mean age = 20.0 years, s.d. = 1.2) were recruited from 20 colleges and universities between November 2013 and July 2014, without being provided information about the mental health-related survey or trial. Participants were assigned to one of three groups before completion of the baseline survey (FSC/INS/control = 89/83/87). The FSC group received a computer-based 30-min social contact film with general mental health education and five follow-up web-based FSCs at 2-month intervals. The INS group undertook a 30-min search for mental health-related information with five follow-up web-based reminders for self-instructional searches at 2-month intervals. The control group played PC games and had no follow-up intervention. The main outcome measures were the future (intended behaviour) domain of the Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale at 12 months after the intervention. Analysis was conducted in September 2015.Results.At the 12-month follow-up, 218 participants completed the survey (84.1%, 75:70:73). The FSC group showed the greatest change at the 12-month follow-up (FSC: mean change 2.11 [95% CI 1.49, 2.73], INS: 1.04 [0.29, 1.80], control: 0.71 [0.09, 1.33]; FSC v. INS p = 0.037, FSC v. controls p = 0.004). No adverse events were reported during the follow-up period.Conclusions.FSC was more successful in reducing stigma at 12 months after intervention than INS or control interventions. FSC could be used to reduce stigma in educational lectures and anti-stigma campaigns targeted at young people.Study registration.This study is registered at UMIN-CTR (No. UMIN000012239).

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