Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Mental Health
Date Submitted: Apr 29, 2021
Date Accepted: Jul 14, 2021
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health (BEAM): Examining the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of a web-based training program for Australian secondary school teachers.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Secondary schools are increasingly supporting adolescent students’ mental health and wellbeing, yet many teachers report that they lack the skills and confidence to do so. The Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health (BEAM) is a web-based training program developed to improve secondary school teachers’ knowledge and confidence in caring for students’ mental health.
Objective:
This pilot study aimed to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of this new training program for improving mental health knowledge, attitudes, confidence, helping behaviors and psychological distress among secondary school teachers.
Methods:
A single arm, pre-post pilot trial was conducted from July to December 2019 among secondary school teachers located in New South Wales, Australia, who were in leadership positions responsible for managing student wellbeing (i.e., Year Advisors). Participants had access to the BEAM program for six weeks. Self-report surveys, delivered at baseline, post-intervention (6-weeks post-baseline) and follow-up (19 weeks post-baseline) were used to measure changes in mental health outcomes. Acceptability was assessed by program use, barriers, satisfaction, and participants’ perceptions of program effectiveness.
Results:
A total of 70 secondary school teachers took part (Mage=36.5 years, SD=9.41, range=24-60). Significant improvements in confidence were reported at post-test and follow-up, as well as psychological distress at post-test, and helping behaviors at follow-up. Participants agreed that the program was easy to understand and relevant; but completion was challenged by lack of time, competing priorities, and forgetfulness.
Conclusions:
Findings indicate that the BEAM program may be an effective way to enhance secondary school teachers’ abilities to care for students’ mental health; however, modifications are required to improve adherence and attrition. Clinical Trial: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12619000821190; Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111-1232-7680.
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