Operationalizing the WHO Six Building Blocks Framework for a School-Based Digital Mental Health Platform: A Pilot...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Adolescent Mental Health
• School Health Services

Background:

• Adolescent depression is a significant concern in Thailand.
• Existing school-based mental health services are fragmented.
• There is a need for innovative digital solutions to support adolescent well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate "TeenTalk Mender," a digital platform for adolescent mental health support in schools.
• To assess the feasibility, user satisfaction, and impact on depression scores.
• To guide the platform's development using the WHO Six Building Blocks framework.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week quasi-experimental pilot study with 55 secondary students.
• Stratification into "general" and "at-risk" groups based on depression screening.
• Evaluation using the Technology Acceptance Model and depression score assessment.

Main Results:

• The TeenTalk Mender platform achieved 100% engagement.
• High user satisfaction was reported across all participants, with no significant differences between groups.
• A non-statistically significant decrease in depression scores was observed in the "at-risk" group.

Conclusions:

• The TeenTalk Mender platform is feasible and acceptable for supporting school health services.
• The digital tool effectively connects adolescents with school nurses.
• Larger trials are recommended to confirm clinical efficacy in reducing adolescent depression.