Stress-free Everyday LiFe for Children and Adolescents REsearch (SELFCARE): a protocol for a cluster randomised trial testing a school teacher training programme to teach mindfulness (".b").
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school teacher training program to teach mindfulness (".b" program) in improving mental health among Danish schoolchildren, particularly in a vulnerable subgroup.
Results Summary
The study is a large-scale randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of the ".b" mindfulness program on pupils' self-reported mental health at 3 and 6 months. Results are pending as the abstract describes the study design rather than outcomes.
Population
Danish schoolchildren aged 11-15, including a vulnerable subgroup with high SDQ scores (~400 pupils) and a total population of ~2000 pupils.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
6-month follow-up
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
school teacher training programme to teach mindfulness ('.b' programme) as a part of compulsory class room teaching | neutral | pupils' self-reported mental health | vulnerable pupils | - | evaluate the effectiveness | #1 |
school teacher training programme to teach the '.b'-programme as a part of compulsory class room teaching | neutral | pupils' self-reported mental health | total pupil population | - | evaluate the effectiveness | #2 |
school teacher training programme and the '.b'-programme delivered as part of compulsory class room teaching | neutral | - | pupils at the age of 11-15 years | - | - | #3 |
education as usual | neutral | - | pupils in the control schools | - | - | #4 |
- | neutral | change in the SDQ total score | vulnerable subgroup with a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) total difficulties score > 80% percentile at baseline | - | - | #5 |
- | neutral | - | total pupil study population | - | evaluate the effectiveness | #6 |
- | neutral | - | girls and boys | - | evaluate the effectiveness | #7 |
population-based strategy | neutral | mental health | Danish schoolchildren | - | estimate the effectiveness | #8 |
school teacher training programme, where teachers are trained in teaching the '.b' programme | neutral | - | - | - | evaluates the effect | #9 |
- | neutral | - | vulnerable subgroup | - | Effectiveness will be evaluated | #10 |
- | neutral | - | total population | - | Effectiveness will be evaluated | #11 |
BACKGROUND: There is a call for sustainable, evidence-based interventions in schools to promote mental health in schoolchildren. Our primary aim of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness in vulnerable pupils of a school teacher training programme to teach mindfulness (".b" programme) as a part of compulsory class room teaching in Danish schools on the pupils' self-reported mental health at 6-month follow-up. Our secondary aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of the school teacher training programme to teach the ".b"-programme as a part of compulsory class room teaching among the total pupil population on the pupils' self-reported mental health at 3 and 6 months after baseline. METHODS: The pragmatic cluster two-armed randomised controlled trial includes 110 municipal or private schools from all five regions in Denmark; 191 school teachers and approximately 2000 pupils at 11-15 years of age. Exclusion criteria; for schools: < 100 pupils; for pupils: parental opt out. Our intervention consists of (A) a school teacher training programme and (B) the ".b"-programme delivered as part of compulsory class room teaching in schools to pupils at the age of 11-15 years. The pupils in the control schools receive education as usual. Our primary study population is the vulnerable subgroup with a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) total difficulties score > 80% percentile at baseline (approximately 400 pupils). The primary outcome is change in the SDQ total score by the pupils. We also evaluate the effectiveness among the total pupil study population and in girls and boys, respectively and use other measures on mental health. Data will be analysed with repeated measurement models taken clusters into account. DISCUSSION: This large-scale trial will estimate the effectiveness of a population-based strategy on mental health in Danish schoolchildren. The trial evaluates the effect of a school teacher training programme, where teachers are trained in teaching the ".b" programme. The ".b" programme will be taught as a part of compulsory class room teaching. The intervention takes implementation issues into account. Effectiveness will be evaluated both in a vulnerable subgroup and among the total population. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04208113, registered December 23 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04208113 .