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ERIC Number: EJ1461158
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4391
EISSN: EISSN-1746-1561
Available Date: 2024-12-26
Universal, School-Based Mental Health Literacy Programs for Middle School Students: A Scoping Review
Claire P. Zachik1; Sarah C. Collica1; Jacob White2; Candice Espinoza3; Karen L. Swartz1; Mariel L. Cataldi4
Journal of School Health, v95 n3 p264-279 2025
Background: Universal, classroom-based mental health literacy (MHL) curricula are associated with improved mental health knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking behaviors. Young adolescents are an ideal target given their need for and receptivity toward MHL education. Methods: We conducted a scoping review to identify universal, school-based MHL programs primarily for students aged 10-14 years, with adequate descriptions of curriculum implementation and content, and measured outcomes. Findings: Thirty-one articles describing 24 programs met the inclusion criteria. The content and educational strategies varied, with no two programs having the same curriculum. The studies show promising results for improvement in mental health knowledge, attitudes, help-seeking, and student mental health. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: Collaborative work between educational and mental health professionals, along with rigorous study of outcomes, aiming to reach a consensus on a core MHL curriculum and best implementation practices, will advance efforts to improve MHL. Conclusions: This scoping review confirmed that existing universal, school-based MHL programs for middle school-aged students improve mental health knowledge. The programs are diverse, and their outcomes are often challenging to compare. Ongoing study in this field to optimize design and implementation for improved effectiveness is needed.
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; 2Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; 3Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; 4Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA