ABSTRACT Many youth seek and receive mental health treatment in schools, yet research on their perceptions of these interventions remains uncommon. This qualitative study explored how student perspectives on social validity informed the ongoing implementation and evaluation of the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a Tier 2 positive psychology…

Mental health literacy interventions in school settings are growing in number and scope, yet challenges in user engagement and real-world implementation persist. The Decode Mental Health and Wellbeing Program (Decode) is a novel and innovative mental health literacy program for teachers and students that harnesses the power of social media…

Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) are increasingly used in clinical and school settings to promote psychological and social-emotional well-being among youth. However, the precise role of youth-animal relationships in shaping developmental trajectories is understudied. Research is needed to expand human-centric models of child development,…

Background: Mental health problems are a growing and significant issue in the Australian education system. Research has suggested that resilience can be learned and that schools can play an important role in developing resilient skills among youth; however, rigorous evaluation of interventions promoting resilience is limited. Aims: As martial arts…

This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of Healthy Minds, Healthy Schools (HMHS), a universal school cognitive-behavioral therapy program aimed at improving anxiety and emotion regulation. Using a quasi-experimental design with open assignment to groups, elementary students were assigned to either the intervention (n = 186) or comparison…

University student mental health and wellbeing is a concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loneliness and social isolation are drivers of student mental health problems, amenable to intervention. "Connecting People" was developed and piloted in health and social care services to support people to enhance their social connections.…

Introduction: Caregivers of autistic children and caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience considerable stress. However, what is unique or similar across these groups remains understudied. This study explored how female caregivers of children with FASD who registered to participate in a caregiver focused mental…

Attention to childhood trauma and the need for trauma-informed care has contributed to the emerging discourse in schools related to teaching practices, school climate, and the delivery of trauma-related in-service and preservice teacher education. However, though trauma-informed systems of care include schools, empirical work informing…

Co-design and youth participatory action research are promising methodologies for increasing youth engagement in well-being interventions. The current study included 10 recent high school graduates employed as youth advisors to co-design a youth-friendly positive psychology intervention targeting the post-school transition. The youth advisors…

This exploratory study sought to compare the parenting variables of parenting stress, perceived social support, and parenting styles among Japanese mothers (n = 42) of children with autism and those (n = 36) without autism, and examine associations between children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors and these variables by using parent…

Transitioning from high school is known to be challenging for students. Utilising the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis for scoping review guidelines, this scoping review examined the extent of existing research on the association of career indecision with depression, negative thoughts, and the role of…

Background: Foreign-born children rarely use traditional school mental health services. Comprehensive programs that combine mental health services with academic, economic, and socioemotional supports reach more foreign-born children and improve well-being. However, little practical guidance exists regarding how to best combine these diverse…

Victorian local governments (LGs) are required to develop evidence-based Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans (MPHWPs) that improve health and wellbeing. This study evaluated the implementation of this requirement across 79 LGs. Evidence in 116 documents was categorised by source, issue, and policy specificity. Over 11,000…

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is a federal advisory committee that advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) on issues related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It was established by the "Children's Health Act of 2000" (Public Law 106-310), reconstituted under the Combating Autism Act of 2006 (CAA;…

An intervention was carried out with primary school staff to promote well-being with weekly sessions of a project which became known as Chill and Chat. Data were gathered via questionnaires completed before and after the project and from three focus groups (before, during and after the intervention), and were analysed using thematic analysis.…