Teaching Mental Health in the Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of a Mental Health Literacy Program in Elementary Schools

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dc.contributor.advisorRonksley, Paul
dc.contributor.advisorMcCaughey, Deirdre
dc.contributor.authorSadler, Daniel
dc.contributor.committeememberMetcalfe, Amy
dc.contributor.committeememberMilaney, Katrina
dc.date2023-11
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-06T16:43:52Z
dc.date.available2023-07-06T16:43:52Z
dc.date.issued2023-06
dc.description.abstractBackground: Mental illnesses are the largest disease burden for adolescents, affecting 20% of youth in Canada. As mental health needs arise earlier and with greater prevalence it is essential to work upstream and prepare youth before psychological distress emerges. When implemented in the classroom as part of the educational curriculum, Mental Health Literacy (MHL) fulfills these goals as a universal response to the myriad of societal and development stressors experienced by youth. Aim: The overall aim of this program evaluation was to investigate the experience of educators in delivering the Elementary Mental Health Literacy Resources (EMHLR) program during a 4-month trial. The specific objectives were to identify the individual (educator) and organizational (district) level barriers and facilitators to delivery of the EMHLR to improve future implementation of the program. Design and Setting: An explanatory sequential design collected educator experience through a feedback survey which informed group interviews. Participants were elementary school educators primarily from the provinces of British Columbia and New Brunswick. Methods: The feedback survey collected demographics and feedback on each module taught using five-point Likert scales. The feedback survey also included multiple solicitations for qualitative feedback. Group interviews were held to further explore survey responses. Findings were integrated using the RE-AIM framework to identify barriers and facilitators and develop considerations for implementation. Results: System level barriers included preexisting stigma around mental health, competing priorities for classroom time and access, and cultivating buy-in from educational leadership. Individual level barriers included the time required to teach the EMHLR curriculum and to develop the skills and knowledge to teach MHL. The flexible design of the EMHLR curriculum alongside key implementation strategies of advocacy, practice champions, and professional development were seen as facilitators. Conclusion: Adolescents are ready to engage in their mental health. Mental Health Literacy offers the language to communicate about their experience clearly and accurately. The EMHLR curriculum offers an evidence-based and adaptable means to build the MHL of youth across Canada. This could result in significant improvements in adolescent mental health but requires intentional implementation strategies to be successful.
dc.identifier.citationSadler, D. (2023). Teaching mental health in the classroom: a mixed-methods investigation of a mental health literacy program in elementary schools (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1880/116698
dc.identifier.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/41540
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectmental health
dc.subjectliteracy
dc.subjectprogram evaluation
dc.subjectimplementation
dc.subject.classificationMental Health
dc.titleTeaching Mental Health in the Classroom: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of a Mental Health Literacy Program in Elementary Schools
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineMedicine – Community Health Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudentI do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.
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