Factors that influenced adoption of a school-based trauma-informed universal mental health intervention
Open accessAbstract
We know little about why school administrators choose to adopt preventive mental health interventions within the context of school-based prevention trials. This study used a qualitative multiple-case study design to identify factors that influenced the adoption of a trauma-informed universal intervention by urban public school administrators during an efficacy trial. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 school administrators who adopted a trauma-informed mindfulness intervention called RAP (Relax, be Aware, and do a Personal Rating) Club as part of their participation in a school-based trial with eighth graders. Findings indicated that administrators adopted RAP Club to provide support for students affected by trauma and prevent students from engaging in unhealthy coping behaviors. Examples of contextual factors that contributed to adoption included a lack of trauma-informed mental health programs within schools, inadequate district funding for preventive school mental health services, and the perceived benefits of engaging in a university-community partnership. The study's findings suggest strategies to increase school program adoption in the context of research and, more broadly, for implementation science.
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School administrators in the trial perceived a need for RAP Club and felt that the program content was relevant and useful.
“Our research suggests that school administrators in our trial perceived a need for RAP Club and felt that the program content was relevant and useful (Arnold et al., 2020).”
From Positive impacts of a universal trauma-informed intervention on student mental health: The Project POWER trial (2025) · cites this paper as Arnold et al., 2020
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Mendelson, T., Clary, L. K., Musci, R. J., Sheridan, S., Webb, L., Sibinga, E., Mmari, K., Welna, A., & Ialongo, N. (2025) · Journal of School Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2025.101469 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Arnold, K. T., Pollack Porter, K. M., Frattaroli, S., Durham, R. E., Mmari, K., Clary, L. K., & Mendelson, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Notre Dame of Maryland University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Arnold, Kimberly T.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Prevention Science
- Published
- 2020-07-24
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1081-1092
- ISSN
- 1389-4986 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6695
- PMC
- PMC7572754
- OpenAlex
- W3044390175
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4
- FWCI
- 4.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Prevention Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH109433, T32MH109436)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD090022, R01HD106654)
- 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 › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Keywords
- intervention adoption, school-based prevention, trauma-informed care, mindfulness-based interventions, school administrators, urban public schools, implementation science, university-community collaboration, eighth grade students, coping styles
- MeSH terms
- Psychological Trauma, Adaptation, Psychological, Humans, Mental Health, Mental Health Services, School Health Services, Schools, Students
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