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A Digital Mental Health Literacy Program Reduces Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in a District-Wide Trial
Michael D Mrazek1, Dustyn S Ransom2, Amy R Texter3
1School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Austin, Texas; Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, Austin, Texas.
Purpose:
Adolescent mental health problems have risen sharply, creating an urgent need for scalable solutions. Although several mental health literacy (MHL) programs show promise, none with broad implementation feasibility have demonstrated reductions in adolescents' anxiety or depression. This study examined the mental health outcomes of a brief, digital MHL program.
Methods:
We conducted a preregistered cluster-randomized trial using an intent-to-treat approach with all ninth graders in a U.S. school district (N = 1,080), comparing an 80-minute digital MHL program to a time- and format-matched active control also framed as supporting mental health. Ten weeks later, students completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, and MHL-related knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking motivation.
Results:
Students in the MHL condition reported significantly lower depression and anxiety symptoms. Increased willingness to seek help partially mediated the effect on depressive symptoms, but not anxiety.
Discussion:
Findings indicate that brief digital MHL instruction can improve adolescent mental health under routine school conditions, offering a practical, scalable strategy for promoting mental health in school systems.
