Accessible mental well-being intervention for adolescents in school setting- Single-Group Intervention Study with a Pretest-Posttest Design

Abstract Background A growing number of adolescents seek treatment for mental health problems, which stresses the importance of studying and implementing accessible treatment options. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a brief, mental well-being intervention for adolescents in a school-environment. Mental health interventions are often targeted at specific disorders, we aimed for a generic approach thus reaching adolescents with a large range of mental health symptoms. Methods Single-Group Intervention Study with a Pretest-Posttest Design. The intervention was conducted in secondary, upper secondary and vocational schools for adolescents aged 12–18, who sought medical attention due to mental health symptoms (n = 124). The cut-off point for inclusion was ≥14 points for the Young Persons Clinical Outcomes for routine Evaluation (YP-CORE) measure. The intervention included six visits and was implemented by school nurses that had received a three-day training course. The impact of the intervention was evaluated immediately after the six visits (n = 85) and at six-month follow-up (n = 68). The participants’ mental well-being was assessed by YP-CORE, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS). Results Participants reported significant levels of mental distress at baseline, YP-CORE mean score = 21.48, BDI-II mean score = 23.60, OASIS mean score = 10.98. The post-intervention results at six weeks for the primary outcome YP-CORE showed a significant (p < .001) mean score decrease of -3.82 and a medium effect size d = .627. Long-term outcomes at six months showed a -1.14 decrease (p = non-significant) and effect size d = .175. After the six-visit intervention, only 12% of the participants were assessed not to require additional visits. Conclusions The studied easily available intervention in school- settings was effective for adolescents with mild to moderate mental disorder symptoms. After the six-week intervention, significant positive effects were observed. The participants reported substantial levels of mental distress at baseline, which could contribute to the relapse of the YP-CORE and symptom mean scores during the follow-up and the need for extended care. Although the YP-CORE scores rose, they did not reach the baseline level indicating that slight positive changes remained.