Effectiveness of the holistic primary school-based intervention MindMatters: study protocol for a cluster-randomised...

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• Educational Psychology
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Rising mental health issues in children and adolescents, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Holistic school interventions show promise but require rigorous effectiveness evaluation.
• This study protocol evaluates the MindMatters primary school module.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the MindMatters primary school module.
• To assess the impact of social-emotional learning (SEL) on mental health outcomes.
• To investigate the influence of school structures on intervention effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial comparing MindMatters intervention schools with a control group.
• Data collection at baseline and 18 months post-intervention.
• Multilevel regression analysis to examine pupil-level outcomes and mediation/moderation effects.

Main Results:

• (Study protocol, results pending)

Conclusions:

• Strengthening the evidence base for school-based mental health promotion.
• Understanding the relationship between proximal and distal outcomes in mental health interventions.
• Assessing the impact of improved mental health on academic performance.