Effect of a peer-led intervention combining mental health promotion with coping-strategy-based workshops on mental health awareness, help-seeking behavior, and wellbeing among university students in Hong Kong

Group-format, peer-facilitated mental health promotion interventions for students in higher education settings: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Young people in higher education face various stressors that can make them vulnerable to mental ill-health. Mental health promotion in this group therefore has important potential benefits. Peer-facilitated and group-format interventions may be feasible and sustainable. The scoping review outlined in this protocol aims to map the literature on group-format, peer-facilitated, in-person interventions for mental health promotion for higher education students attending courses on campuses in high and low/middle-income countries.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Relevant studies will be identified through conducting searches of electronic databases, including Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, ERIC and PsycINFO. Searches will be conducted using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) and truncation functions appropriate for each database. We will include a grey literature search. We will include articles from student participants of any gender, and published in peer-reviewed journals between 2008 and 2023. We will include English-language studies and all study types including randomised controlled trials, pilot studies and descriptive studies of intervention development. A draft charting table has been developed, which includes the fields: author, publication date, country/countries, aims, population and sample size, demographics, methods, intervention type, comparisons, peer training, number of sessions/duration of intervention, outcomes and details of measures.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

No primary data will be collected from research participants to produce this review so ethics committee approval is not required. All data will be collated from published peer-reviewed studies already in the public domain. We will publish the review in an open-access, peer-reviewed journal accessible to researchers in low/middle-income countries. This protocol is registered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/agbfj/).

Students' perceptions and experiences of an online well-being programme: a phenomenological study protocol

BACKGROUND

The pandemic has ensued challenges across all sections of the human population such as livelihood and educational changes, which involve the abrupt shift to online learning, immensely affecting the students' well-being. Negative health consequences of e-learning among students stem from the increased demand for new technological skills, productivity, information overload and restriction of students to spend time with their peers.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the experiences of the students from the University of Santo Tomas-College of Rehabilitation Sciences (UST-CRS) who participated in the online well-being programme.

METHODOLOGY

A phenomenological design will be used to determine the participants' perceptions and experiences. Purposive sampling will be used to recruit 8-10 undergraduate students from UST-CRS ages 18-22 years, who participated in the well-being programme, and completed the study's quantitative counterpart. Semistructured, in-depth questions will be used to conduct a focus group discussion. The transcripts will be analysed using thematic analysis via the NVivo V.12 software.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study protocol is approved by the UST-CRS Ethical Review Committee (Protocol Number: SI-2022-034 (V.4)). It will be implemented in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the National Ethical Guidelines for Health and Health-Related Research, and Data Privacy Act. Findings will be published in accredited journals and presented in related scientific fora.

REGISTRATION ID

PHRR230214-005419; Philippine Health Research Registry.

Understanding University Students' Perspectives towards Digital Tools for Mental Health Support: A Cross-country Study

Background

Organisational and individual barriers often prevent university students from seeking mental health support. Digital technologies are recognised as effective in managing psychological distress and as a source of health-related information, thus representing useful options to address mental health needs in terms of accessibility and cost-effectiveness. However, university students' experiences and perspectives towards such interventions are little known.

Objectives

We thus aimed to expand the existing base of scientific knowledge, focusing on this special population.

Methods

Data were from the qualitative component of "the CAMPUS study", longitudinally assessing the mental health of students at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) and the University of Surrey (UK). We conducted in-depth interviews and thematically analysed the transcripts using the framework approach.

Results

An explanatory model was derived from five themes identified across 33 interviews (15 for Italy, 18 for the UK). Students perceived that social media, apps, and podcasts could deliver relevant mental health content, ranging from primary to tertiary prevention. Wide availability and anonymity were perceived as advantages that make tools suitable for preventive interventions, to reduce mental health stigma, and as an extension of standard treatment. These goals can be hindered by disadvantages, namely lower efficacy compared to face-to-face contact, lack of personalisation, and problematic engagement. Individual and cultural specificities might influence awareness and perspectives on the use of digital technologies for mental health support.

Conclusion

Although considering some specific features, digital tools could be a useful instrument to support the mental health needs of students. Since personal contact remains crucial, digital tools should be integrated with face-to-face interventions through a multi-modal approach.

Strengthening First Responders' Coaching Proficiency through a Peer Fitness Leader Workshop: A Preliminary Efficacy Trial

First responders require physical fitness to perform dangerous tasks in unpredictable environments. To promote physical fitness among first responders, many agencies use a peer fitness leader (PFL) approach; however, resources for the fitness, wellness, and health of PFLs are often minimal. This study's purpose was to investigate the effectiveness of a training workshop to increase PFL's training knowledge and coaching comfort (CC). Thirty-six PFLs (Experience: 14.6 ± 9.1 yrs; Age: 41.0 ± 9.8 yrs; BMI: 28.9 ± 7.0 kg·m-2) attended a one-day workshop. Paired samples t-tests assessed for differences between baseline and post-assessment knowledge scores. Pearson correlations described the bivariate relationship between baseline and post-assessment knowledge scores. Wilcoxon's Signed Rank Test determined associations between baseline and post-workshop CC variables. Spearman's Rho correlations described bivariate relationships between baseline and post-assessment values for each CC category. Kendall's Rank correlations investigated relationships between knowledge scores and total perceived CC for pre- and post-workshops. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results indicated an improvement from the baseline knowledge score (6.08 ± 1.46 points) and post-workshop knowledge score (7.03 ± 0.94 points); (t (25) = 3.85; p < 0.001). Similar trends were observed for all CC measures (Z > -3.42; p < 0.001). Differences were not observed between pre-workshop total CC and knowledge scores (τ = -0.03; p = 0.81) or following workshop completion (τ = -0.04; p = 0.76). Participants demonstrated varying exercise knowledge and CC, highlighting inconsistencies in exercise standards within first responder occupations. This investigation suggests the proposed pedagogy design may be a solution for agencies with limited budgets.

Suicide prevention curriculum development for health and social care students: Protocol for a scoping review

Suicide has become a serious public health concern and international research has shown that the majority of individuals who die by suicide had receive healthcare in the year prior to their death. This presents an opportunity for suicide prevention by strategically training healthcare students in suicide prevention knowledge and skills. The objective of this scoping review is to identify literature that describes the design, development, implementation and/or evaluation of suicide prevention training for healthcare and/or social care students in higher education settings. Studies will only be considered eligible for inclusion if they describe the design, development, implementation and/or evaluation of suicide prevention curricula being delivered to healthcare or social care degree students in higher education. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies published between 2011 and 2023 (inclusive) and in the English language will be considered eligible. This scoping review will be conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The developed search strategy will be implemented across six databases: PubMed, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science. Several grey literature sources will also be consulted. Further potential results will be located by hand-searching the reference lists of included articles. The search strategy will include variations of the terms: 'student', 'suicide prevention' and 'education'. The search will be limited to titles, abstracts, and keywords in databases that allow it. Two reviewers will complete the screening using the predefined inclusion criteria. A third reviewer will resolve any conflicts during the screening and eligibility appraisal processes. Results will be presented in the form of tabulated results and an accompanying narrative summary, describing key findings and context related to learning outcomes, methodologies employed and implementation of the identified programmes.

Peer-delivered Problem-solving Therapy for Adolescent Mental Health in Kenya: Adaptation for Context and Training of Peer-counselors

Peer-delivered interventions for adolescent mental health can help address poor access to mental health interventions. Questions remain about how interventions can be adapted for peer delivery and whether peers can be trained. In this study, we adapted problem solving therapy (PST) for peer-delivery with adolescents in Kenya and explored whether peer counselors can be trained in PST. We adapted treatment prior to and during training using the Cultural Adaptation and Contextualization for Implementation framework. Nine peer counselors (Ages 20-24) were selected and trained over 10 days. Peer competencies and knowledge were measured pre-post using a written exam, a written case study, and role plays rated using a standardized competency measure. We chose a version of PST used in India with secondary school adolescents originally delivered by teachers. All materials were translated into Kiswahili. Language and format were adapted to Kenyan adolescents as well as for delivery by peers with a focus on understandability and relevance (e.g., noting shared experience). Metaphors, examples, and visual materials were adapted for the context to reflect the culture and vernacular of Kenyan youth. Peer counselors were able to be trained in PST. Pre-post competencies and understanding of content showed improvements with peers minimally meeting patient needs (pre) on average to moderate/fully meeting patient needs (post). Post-training written exam score showed an average 90% correct. There is an adapted version of PST for Kenyan adolescents and peer delivery. Peer counselors can be trained to deliver a 5-session PST in a community context.

Development and validation of a comprehensive health literacy tool for adults in Hong Kong

Introduction

Health literacy (HL) refers to an individual's ability to process and use health information to make health-related decisions. However, previous HL scales did not fully cover all aspects of this concept. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive Hong Kong HL scale (HLS-HK) and evaluate its psychometric properties among Chinese adults.

Methods

A scale of 31-item covering Nutbeam's framework, namely functional and interactive HL (FHL and IHL), and critical HL (CHL) within three subdomains: critical appraisal of information, understanding of social determinants of health, and actions to address social determinants of health, was developed based on previous literature review and Delphi survey. Cognitive interviews were performed to examine all items' face validity in terms of three aspects: comprehensiveness, clarity, and acceptability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the scale's psychometric properties, including its internal consistency reliability, factorial structure validity, convergent validity, and predictive validity.

Results

Nine interviewees participated in the cognitive interviews in October 2021. Based on the input from respondents, two items were deleted, two items were combined, and several items' wording was revised. The other items were clear and readable. Finally, 28 items remained. A total of 433 adults completed the questionnaire survey between December 2021 and February 2022. After excluding one item with low inter-item correlations, the scale's internal consistency reliability was acceptable, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89. Exploratory factor analysis produced a five-factor model, as shown in the original theoretical framework. These factors accounted for 53% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the fit indices for this model were acceptable (comparative fit index = 0.91, root mean square error of approximation = 0.06, and root mean square residual = 0.06). The scale is also significantly correlated with theoretically selected variables, including education and self-rated health.

Conclusion

The HLS-HK is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating HL. Compared with existing tools, this scale extended the operationalization of FHL, IHL, and CHL and fully operationalized the CHL via three subdomains. It can be used to understand the difficulties and barriers that people may encounter when they use health-related information and services.

Understanding Aotearoa New Zealand University Students Intentions to Seek Help If Experiencing Mental Distress: A Comparison of Naturalistic and Interventional Findings

University students globally are consistently identified as a vulnerable group for mental distress and suicide. Despite this, students report low engagement in help-seeking behaviours. This series of studies aimed to assess barriers to help-seeking for students and the impact of an intervention that sought to increase support-seeking intentions. In Study 1, 373 undergraduate psychology students completed items related to depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, stigma, and help-seeking intentions. In Study 2, 133 undergraduate psychology students were randomly allocated into one of three intervention groups (control, infographic, video) and completed measures as used in Study 1. Despite experiencing clinically relevant symptoms and recent suicidal ideation, students in Study 1 tended to report low intentionality to seek help, citing perceptions that their distress was not serious enough or a desire to handle their issues independently. In Study 2, an infographic about different support services increased student's intentions to access support services and reduced their perception that their issues were not serious enough. Overall, Aotearoa New Zealand students endorsed similar barriers to help-seeking as students in other countries. Importantly, we demonstrated that a simple infographic intervention reduced perceptions regarding these common barriers and may increase students' knowledge about when to seek help.