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Exploring Mechanisms And Contexts in a Peer Education Project to Improve Mental Health Literacy in Schools in England: A Qualitative Realist Evaluation

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Title: Exploring Mechanisms And Contexts in a Peer Education Project to Improve Mental Health Literacy in Schools in England: A Qualitative Realist Evaluation
Language: English
Authors: E. L. Curtin (ORCID 0000-0001-6799-1118), E. Widnall, S. Dodd, M. Limmer, R. Simmonds, A. E. Russell, A. Kaley, J. Kidger
Source: Health Education Research. 2024 39(1):40-54.
Availability: Oxford University Press. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK. Tel: +44-1865-353907; Fax: +44-1865-353485; e-mail: jnls.cust.serv@oxfordjournals.org; Web site: http://her.oxfordjournals.org/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Secondary School Students, Mental Health, Peer Teaching, Health Education, Information Literacy, Health Materials, Peer Relationship, Modeling (Psychology), Student Empowerment, School Culture, Course Content, Help Seeking
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (England)
DOI: 10.1093/her/cyad026
ISSN: 0268-1153
1465-3648
Abstract: Poor adolescent mental health calls for universal prevention. The Mental Health Foundation's 'Peer Education Project' equips older students ('peer educators') to teach younger students ('peer learners') about mental health. The peer-led lessons cover defining good and bad mental health, risk and protective factors, self-care, help-seeking and looking after one another. While previous pre-post evaluations have suggested effectiveness, the mechanisms through which the intervention improves mental health literacy remain unclear. We purposively recruited seven secondary schools across England from 2020 to 2022 and collected data through five observations, 12 staff interviews and 15 student focus groups (totalling 134 students; 46 peer educators aged 14-18 years and 88 peer learners aged 11-13 years). Our realist analysis adopted retroductive logic, intertwining deductive and inductive approaches to test the initial programme theory against insights arising from the data. We developed Context - Mechanisms - Outcome configurations related to four themes: (i) modelling behaviours and forming supportive relationships, (ii) relevant and appropriate content, (iii) peer educators feeling empowered and (iV) a school culture that prioritises mental health support. Our refined programme theory highlights key mechanisms, contexts conducive to achieving the outcomes and ways to improve training, recruitment and delivery to maximise effectiveness for similar peer-led initiatives.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1414314
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Exploring Mechanisms And Contexts in a Peer Education Project to Improve Mental Health Literacy in Schools in England: A Qualitative Realist Evaluation
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22E%2E+L%2E+Curtin%22">E. L. Curtin</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6799-1118">0000-0001-6799-1118</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22E%2E+Widnall%22">E. Widnall</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22S%2E+Dodd%22">S. Dodd</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22M%2E+Limmer%22">M. Limmer</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22R%2E+Simmonds%22">R. Simmonds</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22A%2E+E%2E+Russell%22">A. E. Russell</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22A%2E+Kaley%22">A. Kaley</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22J%2E+Kidger%22">J. Kidger</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Health+Education+Research%22"><i>Health Education Research</i></searchLink>. 2024 39(1):40-54.
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  Data: Oxford University Press. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK. Tel: +44-1865-353907; Fax: +44-1865-353485; e-mail: jnls.cust.serv@oxfordjournals.org; Web site: http://her.oxfordjournals.org/
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Students%22">Secondary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Teaching%22">Peer Teaching</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Education%22">Health Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Information+Literacy%22">Information Literacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Materials%22">Health Materials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Relationship%22">Peer Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Modeling+%28Psychology%29%22">Modeling (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Empowerment%22">Student Empowerment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Culture%22">School Culture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Course+Content%22">Course Content</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Help+Seeking%22">Help Seeking</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom+%28England%29%22">United Kingdom (England)</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1093/her/cyad026
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  Data: 0268-1153<br />1465-3648
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  Data: Poor adolescent mental health calls for universal prevention. The Mental Health Foundation's 'Peer Education Project' equips older students ('peer educators') to teach younger students ('peer learners') about mental health. The peer-led lessons cover defining good and bad mental health, risk and protective factors, self-care, help-seeking and looking after one another. While previous pre-post evaluations have suggested effectiveness, the mechanisms through which the intervention improves mental health literacy remain unclear. We purposively recruited seven secondary schools across England from 2020 to 2022 and collected data through five observations, 12 staff interviews and 15 student focus groups (totalling 134 students; 46 peer educators aged 14-18 years and 88 peer learners aged 11-13 years). Our realist analysis adopted retroductive logic, intertwining deductive and inductive approaches to test the initial programme theory against insights arising from the data. We developed Context - Mechanisms - Outcome configurations related to four themes: (i) modelling behaviours and forming supportive relationships, (ii) relevant and appropriate content, (iii) peer educators feeling empowered and (iV) a school culture that prioritises mental health support. Our refined programme theory highlights key mechanisms, contexts conducive to achieving the outcomes and ways to improve training, recruitment and delivery to maximise effectiveness for similar peer-led initiatives.
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        Value: 10.1093/her/cyad026
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 40
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Students
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      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
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      – SubjectFull: Health Education
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      – SubjectFull: Peer Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom (England)
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