Abstract
Young people expressed concern about their mental health before COVID-19, and these concerns have escalated in response to the pandemic. A lack of knowledge, stigma and unfamiliarity with how to seek help contribute to low self-efficacy in mental health care. There is a need for school settings to include mental health education, or mental health literacy (MHL), to address youth mental health needs. Evaluation of school-based MHL programs often occur without the consultation of key stakeholders, such as young people. This study aimed to understand young people’s experience of mental health education in their school and their perspectives of how future mental health education can be tailored to suit their needs. Four online group discussions were conducted with 13 participants aged 11 to 18 years old. Eight main themes were generated from these discussions: (1) limited mental health education and understanding in school, (2) struggle to help seek, (3) negative mental health attitudes, (4) desired content about mental health education, (5) understanding of mental health, (6) school as a place for support, (7) suggestions for mental health education, and (8) ways for schools to be responsive to youth needs. All the young people in this study expressed concerns around the lack of mental health education in their schools and indicated that this must change for the wellbeing of all youth.
Highlights
This study aims to understand the perspectives of youth on mental health education and MHL in school settings and is guided by the research question: What are young people’s perspectives and experiences of mental health literacy and mental health education programs within a secondary school setting?
This study aimed to address the research question: What are young people’s perspectives and experiences of mental health literacy and mental health education programs within a secondary school setting? Overall, young people in this study did not find that the current mental health education in their school addressed their needs nor did it cover what they wanted to understand
This has contributed to difficulties in seeking help for mental health problems and helping friends who may experience mental health problems
Summary
Engaging youth as partners in research can play a crucial role in aligning preventative mental health approaches with their needs (Ozer, 2016; Sprague Martinez et al, 2018). A systematic review of youth participation in all stages of school-based health promotion programs identified this approach contributes to positive outcomes including effectiveness of the program and likelihood of acceptance among the targeted community (Griebler et al, 2017). Young people need their voices included to feel a sense of belonging and respect as active contributors who are beneficiaries of these programs (Lind, 2007). Mental illness accounts for 16% of the global burden of disease and injury in youth aged 10 to 19 years (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020)
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