Planning for Sustainability of an Evidence‐Based Mental Health Promotion Program in Canadian Elementary Schools
Abstract
Substantial research illuminates many factors effecting the implementation of evidence‐based mental health promotion programs in schools; however, research on how schools plan for sustaining their investments in these programs is limited. In this qualitative study, we elicited descriptions of opportunities and challenges for sustainability. We interviewed 24 individuals from schools involved in a longitudinal, qualitative research project that followed uptake and implementation of the evidence‐based WITS Programs across 2 years (Leadbeater et al. 2012). WITS stands for Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out and Seek help and the online WITS Programs focus on preventing peer victimization (www.witsprograms.ca). Our findings suggest that sustainability planning in schools is not merely a next step following high quality implementation, but rather involves multiple ongoing processes that need to be anticipated and supported by school leadership and program champions and developers in order to realize investments in evidence‐based programs.
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Program evaluation has been consistently recognized in the literature as a key ingredient for program sustainment.
“Program evaluation has been consistently recognized in the literature as a key ingredient for program sustainment [18, 21, 56].”
Most prior sustainability studies included small, homogeneous samples and based conclusions mostly on qualitative retrospective assessments rather than statistical tests of association.
“However, this knowledge is greatly limited because most studies included small, homogeneous samples, and their conclusions were mostly based on qualitative retrospective assessments of individuals’ beliefs about what led to sustainment success or failure, rather than based on statistical tests of their association [17–22].”
Rather than testing comprehensive frameworks, many studies have examined individual factors or used qualitative research to identify stakeholder perspectives on sustainability.
“Rather than testing comprehensive frameworks, many studies have examined individual factors or have used qualitative research to identify stakeholder perspectives on sustainability (38, 70, 95).”
From The Sustainability of Evidence-Based Interventions and Practices in Public Health and Health Care (2018) · cites this paper as [70]
Recent studies suggest that administrative support, consistent resources, and staff stability and buy-in are particularly important in the school context.
“This finding is consistent with recent studies that suggest that administrative support, consistent resources, and staff stability and buy-in are particularly important in the school context (70, 84, 90, 146).”
From The Sustainability of Evidence-Based Interventions and Practices in Public Health and Health Care (2018) · cites this paper as [70]
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- Authors
- Leadbeater, B. J., Gladstone, E. J., & Sukhawathanakul, P.
- Affiliations
- University of Victoria (CA)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Leadbeater, Bonnie J.
- Sukhawathanakul, Paweena
- Venue
- American Journal of Community Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-07-07
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 120-133
- ISSN
- 0091-0562 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2770
- OpenAlex
- W846666214
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 5.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- American Journal of Community Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Public Health Agency of Canada (Innovation Strategy - Taking Action to Reduce Health Inequalities in Canada, Phase 2)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › School Health and Nursing Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
- Keywords
- program sustainability, mental health promotion, school programs, implementation, school leadership, program champions, elementary school, evidence-based programs
- MeSH terms
- British Columbia, Canada, Child, Health Promotion, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Mental Health, School Health Services, Schools, Program Evaluation, Qualitative Research, Evidence-Based Practice, Bullying
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