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Huang W, Wu P, Li J, Zhou Y, Xiong Z, Su P, Wan Y, Tao F, Sun Y. Effectiveness of a universal resilience-focused intervention for children in the school setting: A randomized controlled trial. J Affect Disord 2024; 368:695-703. [PMID: 39299585 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychological resilience can be augmented through the acquisition of specific cognitive or emotional regulation skills, enabling children to adapt to or recover from stressful events, disadvantages, or adversities. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a Tianchang Resilience-focused inTervention program (TRT1 program) on resilience and mental health conditions of Chinese children. METHODS This study was a two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial, performed in Tianchang, a county in China. Students from 20 classes in a local primary school (aged 8.7-11.2 years) were randomly allocated to receive a resilience-focused intervention or waitlist group. The intervention comprised weekly 40-min sessions for 14 weeks and co-led by lay counsellors. Measures of emotional symptoms, behavioral difficulties, and resilience were collected at pre-, post-intervention, 6-months, and 12-months follow-up. RESULTS Between June 16, 2022, and September 4, 2022, 775 eligible students were recruited (mean age 9.93 years; 420 [54.2 %] boys). Relative to the waitlist group (N = 391), the intervention group (N = 384) reported a significant reduction in depressive and anxiety symptoms at post-intervention (all p < 0.001), 6-months (p = 0.007; p = 0.002) and 12-months follow-up (p = 0.018; p = 0.018), respectively. The intervention group effects were also observed on resilience at post-intervention follow-up (p = 0.006), and remained stable over 6-months (p < 0.001) and 12-months follow-up (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that the TRT program, a universal resilience-focused intervention for children in the school setting, showed long-term effectiveness in improving resilience and mental health conditions. This minimally trained laypersons-delivered intervention might enhance the program's generalizability to other communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Huang
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Peipei Wu
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Zhou Xiong
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Puyu Su
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health across the Life Course, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yuhui Wan
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health across the Life Course, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Center for Big Data and Population Health of Institute of Health and Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health across the Life Course, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Center for Big Data and Population Health of Institute of Health and Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health across the Life Course, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
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Swanepoel A. Public health for paediatricians: how an evolutionary perspective can help us improve children's well-being. Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed 2024; 109:259-262. [PMID: 38580431 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2023-326522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
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Zhu D, He Y, Wang F, Li Y, Wen X, Tong Y, Xie F, Wang G, Su P. Inconsistency in psychological resilience and social support with mental health in early adolescents: A multilevel response surface analysis approach. J Affect Disord 2024; 361:627-636. [PMID: 38925311 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.06.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the high prevalence of adolescent mental health problems, promoting understanding and implementation of protective factors is crucial for prevention and intervention efforts addressing adolescent mental health problems. This study aims to investigate whether consistency and inconsistency in protective factors are associated with adolescent mental health problems and to inform adolescent mental health interventions that target the unique needs of adolescents and promote adolescent mental health. METHODS We used multistage cluster sampling to conduct psychological resilience, social support, and mental health questionnaires from April to June 2023 among 10,653 Chinese adolescents (52.3 % were boys). Data were analyzed using polynomial regressions with response surface analysis. RESULTS The higher levels of psychological resilience and social support in adolescents were associated with fewer mental health problems (anxiety: a1 = -1.83, P < 0.001; depression: a1 = -2.44, P < 0.001; and perceived stress: a1 = -1.20, P < 0.001). When the level of psychological resilience was greater than social support, the greater the discrepancy the higher the perceived stress among adolescents (a3 = 1.19, P < 0.001). Moreover, the consistency of psychological resilience and social support had a greater impact on girls' mental health (anxiety: a1 = -1.97, P < 0.001; depression: a1 = -2.71, P < 0.001; perceived stress: a1 = -1.23, P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional study design limited the inference of causal relationships between variables. CONCLUSIONS These results emphasize that adolescents need a balanced development of protective factors and targeted intervention programs for different mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxue Zhu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yuheng He
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Fan Wang
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yonghan Li
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xue Wen
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yingying Tong
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Faliang Xie
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Gengfu Wang
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Puyu Su
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; NHC Key Laboratory of study on abnormal gametes and reproductive tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
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Soneson E, Howarth E, Weir A, Jones PB, Fazel M. Empowering School Staff to Support Pupil Mental Health Through a Brief, Interactive Web-Based Training Program: Mixed Methods Study. J Med Internet Res 2024; 26:e46764. [PMID: 38652534 PMCID: PMC11077415 DOI: 10.2196/46764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schools in the United Kingdom and elsewhere are expected to protect and promote pupil mental health. However, many school staff members do not feel confident in identifying and responding to pupil mental health difficulties and report wanting additional training in this area. OBJECTIVE We aimed to explore the feasibility of Kognito's At-Risk for Elementary School Educators, a brief, interactive web-based training program that uses a simulation-based approach to improve school staff's knowledge and skills in supporting pupil mental health. METHODS We conducted a mixed methods, nonrandomized feasibility study of At-Risk for Elementary School Educators in 6 UK primary schools. Our outcomes were (1) school staff's self-efficacy and preparedness to identify and respond to pupil mental health difficulties, (2) school staff's identification of mental health difficulties and increased risk of mental health difficulties, (3) mental health support for identified pupils (including conversations about concerns, documentation of concerns, in-class and in-school support, and referral and access to specialist mental health services), and (4) the acceptability and practicality of the training. We assessed these outcomes using a series of questionnaires completed at baseline (T1), 1 week after the training (T2), and 3 months after the training (T3), as well as semistructured qualitative interviews. Following guidance for feasibility studies, we assessed quantitative outcomes across time points by comparing medians and IQRs and analyzed qualitative data using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS A total of 108 teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) completed T1 questionnaires, 89 (82.4%) completed T2 questionnaires, and 70 (64.8%) completed T3 questionnaires; 54 (50%) completed all 3. Eight school staff members, including teachers, TAs, mental health leads, and senior leaders, participated in the interviews. School staff reported greater confidence and preparedness in identifying and responding to mental health difficulties after completing the training. The proportion of pupils whom they identified as having mental health difficulties or increased risk declined slightly over time (medianT1=10%; medianT2=10%; medianT3=7.4%), but findings suggested a slight increase in accuracy compared with a validated screening measure (the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). In-school mental health support outcomes for identified pupils improved after the training, with increases in formal documentation and communication of concerns as well as provision of in-class and in-school support. Referrals and access to external mental health services remained constant. The qualitative findings indicated that school staff perceived the training as useful, practical, and acceptable. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that brief, interactive web-based training programs such as At-Risk for Elementary School Educators are a feasible means to improve the identification of and response to mental health difficulties in UK primary schools. Such training may help address the high prevalence of mental health difficulties in this age group by helping facilitate access to care and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Soneson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Howarth
- School of Psychology, University of East London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Weir
- Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Howard Community Academy, Anglian Learning multi-academy trust, Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom
| | - Peter B Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mina Fazel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Kirkbride JB, Anglin DM, Colman I, Dykxhoorn J, Jones PB, Patalay P, Pitman A, Soneson E, Steare T, Wright T, Griffiths SL. The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and recommendations. World Psychiatry 2024; 23:58-90. [PMID: 38214615 PMCID: PMC10786006 DOI: 10.1002/wps.21160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
People exposed to more unfavourable social circumstances are more vulnerable to poor mental health over their life course, in ways that are often determined by structural factors which generate and perpetuate intergenerational cycles of disadvantage and poor health. Addressing these challenges is an imperative matter of social justice. In this paper we provide a roadmap to address the social determinants that cause mental ill health. Relying as far as possible on high-quality evidence, we first map out the literature that supports a causal link between social determinants and later mental health outcomes. Given the breadth of this topic, we focus on the most pervasive social determinants across the life course, and those that are common across major mental disorders. We draw primarily on the available evidence from the Global North, acknowledging that other global contexts will face both similar and unique sets of social determinants that will require equitable attention. Much of our evidence focuses on mental health in groups who are marginalized, and thus often exposed to a multitude of intersecting social risk factors. These groups include refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons, as well as ethnoracial minoritized groups; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) groups; and those living in poverty. We then introduce a preventive framework for conceptualizing the link between social determinants and mental health and disorder, which can guide much needed primary prevention strategies capable of reducing inequalities and improving population mental health. Following this, we provide a review of the evidence concerning candidate preventive strategies to intervene on social determinants of mental health. These interventions fall broadly within the scope of universal, selected and indicated primary prevention strategies, but we also briefly review important secondary and tertiary strategies to promote recovery in those with existing mental disorders. Finally, we provide seven key recommendations, framed around social justice, which constitute a roadmap for action in research, policy and public health. Adoption of these recommendations would provide an opportunity to advance efforts to intervene on modifiable social determinants that affect population mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deidre M Anglin
- City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ian Colman
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Peter B Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Praveetha Patalay
- Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Social Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Emma Soneson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Thomas Steare
- Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Talen Wright
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
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Ramchandani P, Dalgleish T, Luby J, Peterson B, Sonuga-Barke E. Editorial: Innovation in child and adolescent mental health interventions. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:1649-1651. [PMID: 38014520 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
We are living in a time when children and adolescents are showing higher levels of mental health problems in many countries, and when Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in most areas (where they exist at all) are struggling with delivering services to all the young people and families who need them. Many treatment centers respond by restricting the scope of their service, some by excluding younger children, some by focusing on narrower diagnostic groupings, and some by providing online information as a holding strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joan Luby
- Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
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