Educating Young People about Mental Health and Mental Illness: Evaluating a School - Based Programme
Abstract
Reducing the stigma of mental illness, increasing knowledge about mental health and improving help-seeking for mental health problems are essential areas of change targeted by mental health promotion interventions. A school-based programme aimed specifically at these areas is the Mental Illness Education programme, where people who have experience of mental illness give an interactive presentation to high school class groups. This article reports an evaluation of the Mental Illness Education programme (MIE) as implemented in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Using a case control design, 457 high school students were tested by self-report questionnaire before and after participation in the MIE-ACT programme. The results showed that the programme had a strong impact on increasing knowledge and a moderate impact on reducing stigma, but a weak impact on changing help-seeking intentions. Overall, the evaluation of the programme was positive, although areas of continuing challenge are identified.
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Four of the six classroom-based stigma interventions focused on providing interpersonal contact with people with mental health conditions in order to improve acceptance and increase help-seeking intentions.
“Six classroom-based interventions addressing stigma were identified, two of which used psychoeducation to overcome myths regarding mental illness [101, 102] and four focused on providing interpersonal contact with people with mental health conditions in order to improve acceptance and increase help-seeking intentions [103–106].”
From What are the barriers, facilitators and interventions targeting help-seeking behaviours for common mental health problems in adolescents? A systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [103]
No significant gender differences were identified regarding the effectiveness of the help-seeking interventions.
“No significant gender differences were identified regarding the effectiveness of the help-seeking interventions [89, 101, 103, 111].”
From What are the barriers, facilitators and interventions targeting help-seeking behaviours for common mental health problems in adolescents? A systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [103]
One study found a significant effect of the intervention in help-seeking intentions.
“one study [103] found a significant effect of the intervention in help-seeking intentions (Wilks’ Λ = .942, F (4,417) = 6.428, p < 0.001).”
From What are the barriers, facilitators and interventions targeting help-seeking behaviours for common mental health problems in adolescents? A systematic review (2020) · cites this paper as [103]
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- Authors
- Rickwood, D., Cavanagh, S., Curtis, L., & Sakrouge, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Canberra (AU)
- ORCID
- Rickwood, Debra
- Venue
- International Journal of Mental Health Promotion
- Published
- 2004-11
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 23-32
- ISSN
- 1462-3730 (ISSN-L)
- 2049-8543
- OpenAlex
- W1989308736
- Cited by
- 111
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 2.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Mental Health Promotion (publishedVersion)
- University of Canberra Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › School Health and Nursing Education
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Keywords
- mental health education, mental health stigma, help-seeking intentions, school-based intervention, peer education, lived experience of mental illness, mental health knowledge, high school students
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