Partnerships at the Interface of Education and Mental Health Services: The Utilisation and Acceptability of the Provision of Specialist Liaison and Teacher Skills Training

Educator perceptions of the complex needs of young people in Pupil Referral Units: An exploratory qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

Alternative education provision such as Pupil Referral Units support young people who have been excluded from mainstream school settings and often from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, there is limited research to date exploring educators' perceptions of the complex needs of young people in PRUs, and the extent to which PRUs as currently configured can meet such needs.

METHODS

Between March 2019 and October 2020 twenty-two participants holding various educational roles from five different Pupil Referral Units across London and Southeast England were interviewed. The interviews aimed to explore the participants' experiences of working with students in PRU's and examine some of the challenges that they might encounter. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using Reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The three identified themes and their sub-themes highlighted the complex needs of these young people and identified significant barriers to effective service provision. The first theme 'Complexities of PRU population' highlighted the challenges that young people in PRUs face and perceived systemic short falls in addressing such complexity. The second theme 'Challenges of the PRU environment' highlights the frustrations that educators experience when it comes to providing adequate support to young people in PRU's, the absence of agency support, and the uncertainty that these educational settings can bring. The third theme 'Peer Group Influences' highlights the impact of peer groups from beyond the classroom on engagement within the classroom.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the clear complex needs of young people in PRUs, staff reported feeling ill-equipped to support these individuals and lacked access to effective inter-agency support. Participants reported that pupils' mental health difficulties were exacerbated by exclusion and reintegration practices, an over-zealous focus on educational outcomes and the impact of gang influences on their school lives. Implications include more specific mental health training for staff working in PRU's, improved inter-agency working and the incorporation of trauma-informed approaches in educational practice.

Empowering School Staff to Support Pupil Mental Health Through a Brief, Interactive Web-Based Training Program: Mixed Methods Study

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.

Intention of Psychological Counseling, Attitude Toward Seeking Psychological Help, and Shame Among Vocational College Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore the psychological counseling intention of college students, the attitude of seeking psychological help, and the related factors of shame so as to promote the psychological health of college students.

Methods

In 4 comprehensive colleges with sound psychological counseling centers, students of different grades were selected and divided into an active help-seeking group (n = 216) and a help-refusal group (n = 270). Students' shame behaviors were evaluated using the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale and Self-Stigma Scale (SSS). The intention of psychological counseling was measured by the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. The Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services was used to evaluate the psychological status. Data from the above scales were compared through the t-test. Additionally, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore the impact of shame on the intention of psychological counseling.

Results

The study found that the active help-seeking group scored lower on SSOSH scale compared to those in the help-refusal group (total score: 41.2 ± 9.1 vs. 37.9 ± 8.7, P = .0017). Meanwhile, the help-refusal group had higher scores on the shame dimension of the SSS (16.2 ± 3.9 vs. 5.3 ± 1.1, P = .00085). After adjusting for age, gender, and other variables, multiple linear regression analysis indicated a negative correlation between shame and intention of psychological help and counseling, revealing a significant impact of shame on professional psychological counseling (P < .05).

Conclusion

Our study findings suggest that shame has a negative impact on the intention of seeking psychological help and counseling among college students, highlighting the importance of addressing shame-related factors to promote psychological health and encourage the utilization of professional psychological counseling services.

FDI and Wellbeing: A Key Node Analysis for Psychological Health in Response to COVID-19 Using Artificial Intelligence

Developing countries are primary destinations for FDI from emerging economies following the World Investment Report 2022, including destinations in OECD countries. Based on three theoretical lenses and case analyses, we argue that Chinese outward FDI has impacts on wellbeing in destination countries, and that this is an important issue for psychological health in response to COVID-19. Based on the super-efficiency DEA approach, our study investigated the impact of Chinese outward FDI on wellbeing in OECD countries. We also applied a Tabu search to identify country groups based on the relationship between Chinese outward FDI and wellbeing and we developed a key node analysis of the country groups using an immune algorithm. This research has implications for public administrators in global governance and could help shape FDI policies to improve psychological health of the destination countries in response to COVID-19.