A Self-Harm Awareness Training Module for School Staff: Co-Design and User Testing Study.

Area of Science:

• Adolescent mental health
• Public health interventions
• Educational psychology

Background:

• Rising rates of adolescent self-harm present a critical public health challenge.
• School staff are pivotal in early identification and support for self-harming students.
• Inadequate training leaves school staff feeling unprepared to address student self-harm effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To co-design a self-harm awareness e-learning module tailored for UK school staff.
• To develop a user-centered training intervention addressing identified gaps in staff preparedness.

Main Methods:

• A person-based approach guided development through three participatory cycles: expert co-design, school staff workshops, and prototype user testing.
• The framework method was used for thematic analysis of qualitative data.
• Co-design sessions involved mental health experts, self-harm specialists, and school-based training professionals.

Main Results:

• An e-learning module, 'Supportive Response to Self-Harm,' was developed with expert input and school staff collaboration.
• User testing with school staff (n=20) indicated high usability and acceptability.
• Qualitative analysis revealed positive themes regarding usability, content, design, feasibility, and enhanced staff knowledge and confidence.

Conclusions:

• The co-designed e-learning module is acceptable and feasible for enhancing school staff's response to adolescent self-harm.
• The module utilizes a user-centered, person-based approach grounded in psychological theory.
• Future research will pilot the program's effectiveness to inform large-scale school implementation.