Empowering School Staff to Support Pupil Mental Health Through a Brief, Interactive Web-Based Training Program: Mixed...

Area of Science:

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

Background:

• Schools are mandated to promote pupil mental health.
• Many school staff lack confidence in identifying and responding to mental health issues.
• There is a need for effective staff training in this area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of "At-Risk for Elementary School Educators," a web-based, simulation training.
• To improve school staff knowledge and skills in supporting pupil mental health.
• To evaluate the impact of the training on staff confidence and pupil support.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods feasibility study was conducted in 6 UK primary schools.
• Participants included teachers, teaching assistants, and mental health leads.
• Data collected via questionnaires (baseline, 1 week, 3 months) and qualitative interviews.

Main Results:

• Post-training, staff reported increased confidence and preparedness in addressing mental health difficulties.
• Identification of pupils with mental health difficulties slightly decreased but showed improved accuracy.
• In-school support for pupils improved, including documentation and provision of support; external referrals remained stable.

Conclusions:

• Brief, interactive web-based training is a feasible method to enhance mental health support in UK primary schools.
• Such programs can improve the identification of and response to mental health difficulties.
• This training may facilitate access to care for children experiencing mental health challenges.