Collaborate with school staff and allied health professionals when developing school-based mental health literacy programs¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 5 claims (5 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 5 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article recommends initiating collaboration with key stakeholders such as school staff and allied health professionals during program development to ensure needs are addressed and programs are feasible and sustainable. It argues these contributions matter "not only for the content of programs, but also for sustainability and feasibility if programs were to be implemented long-term at a wide scale". The study itself models this by surveying both groups on desirable content and suggestions for future MHL programs.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Program development must begin with stakeholder collaboration so that school needs are addressed before implementation.

Constraints¶

• The article notes little research has examined whether school-based MHL programs were developed based on school staff and allied health professional contribution.

Target Learners¶

• school staff
• allied health professionals
• youth in Australian primary and secondary schools

Target Learning Goals¶

• mental health literacy, including knowledge of mental health, help-seeking, and coping skills

Claims¶

• Participants view mental health knowledge, help-seeking, and coping skills as vital content for school-based MHL programs [+W]
• School staff report lower competence and less mental health training than allied health professionals for delivering mental health education [+W]
• School staff perceive mental health initiatives strengthen academic performance less than allied health professionals do [+W]
• No significant mean differences in perspectives between primary and secondary school staff [+W]
• Informal discussions were perceived as the most useful resource for mental health education delivery, with no group difference [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Alexandra Marinucci, Christine Grové, Kelly-Ann Allen. (2023). Australian School Staff and Allied Health Professional Perspectives of Mental Health Literacy in Schools: a Mixed Methods Study. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09725-5