Consulting the experts: young people's experiences of a school-based mental health literacy program

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ABSTRACT Objective The prevalence of mental health problems among youth is high, and help seeking behaviour is low. Mental health literacy (MHL) has been suggested as a factor to enhance mental health knowledge and increase help seeking and coping behaviours. Schools have been recognised as an ideal environment for MHL programs to be delivered to reach a wide range of youth. This study aimed to understand the perspectives and experiences of secondary school students after participating in a MHL program, and how findings aligned with the theoretical model the program is based on. Method Thirty-eight participants aged 12–16 years provided feedback through an open-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised seven items to gather participants’ experiences and perspectives on the MHL program, including usefulness, ideas for program improvement, impact, and coping strategies. This study was preregistered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, Registration Number: ACTRN12621000325808. Results Reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes and three subthemes from the findings: 1) A safe environment, 2) Perceived positive impact, 2.1) Attitudes towards mental health, 2.2) Coping strategies, 2.3) Need for MHL, and 3) Suggestions for program improvement. Conclusions These findings indicate that the school-based program meets the current MHL needs of young people, aligns with the MHL Child Focused theoretical model, and was viewed as beneficial to be incorporated into the education system in future.