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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

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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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. / Curtin, E L; Widnall, E; Dodd, S et al.
In: Health Education Research, Vol. 39, No. 1, 23.01.2024, p. 40-54.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Curtin, EL, Widnall, E, Dodd, S, Limmer, M, Simmonds, R, Russell, AE, Kaley, A & Kidger, J 2024, 'Exploring mechanisms and contexts in a Peer Education Project to improve mental health literacy in schools in England: a qualitative realist evaluation', Health Education Research, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 40-54. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyad026

APA

Curtin, E. L., Widnall, E., Dodd, S., Limmer, M., Simmonds, R., Russell, A. E., Kaley, A., & Kidger, J. (2024). Exploring mechanisms and contexts in a Peer Education Project to improve mental health literacy in schools in England: a qualitative realist evaluation. Health Education Research, 39(1), 40-54. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyad026

Vancouver

Curtin EL, Widnall E, Dodd S, Limmer M, Simmonds R, Russell AE et al. Exploring mechanisms and contexts in a Peer Education Project to improve mental health literacy in schools in England: a qualitative realist evaluation. Health Education Research. 2024 Jan 23;39(1):40-54. Epub 2023 Jul 24. doi: 10.1093/her/cyad026

Author

Curtin, E L ; Widnall, E ; Dodd, S et al. / Exploring mechanisms and contexts in a Peer Education Project to improve mental health literacy in schools in England : a qualitative realist evaluation. In: Health Education Research. 2024 ; Vol. 39, No. 1. pp. 40-54.

Bibtex

@article{de5b6eccdc464913b3ba44afe5e5659f,
title = "Exploring mechanisms and contexts in a Peer Education Project to improve mental health literacy in schools in England: a qualitative realist evaluation",
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.",
keywords = "Adolescent, Child, England, Health Education, Health Literacy, Humans, Mental Health, Schools",
author = "Curtin, {E L} and E Widnall and S Dodd and M Limmer and R Simmonds and Russell, {A E} and A Kaley and J Kidger",
year = "2024",
month = jan,
day = "23",
doi = "10.1093/her/cyad026",
language = "English",
volume = "39",
pages = "40--54",
journal = "Health Education Research",
issn = "0268-1153",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Exploring mechanisms and contexts in a Peer Education Project to improve mental health literacy in schools in England

T2 - a qualitative realist evaluation

AU - Curtin, E L

AU - Widnall, E

AU - Dodd, S

AU - Limmer, M

AU - Simmonds, R

AU - Russell, A E

AU - Kaley, A

AU - Kidger, J

PY - 2024/1/23

Y1 - 2024/1/23

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Child

KW - England

KW - Health Education

KW - Health Literacy

KW - Humans

KW - Mental Health

KW - Schools

U2 - 10.1093/her/cyad026

DO - 10.1093/her/cyad026

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37490030

VL - 39

SP - 40

EP - 54

JO - Health Education Research

JF - Health Education Research

SN - 0268-1153

IS - 1

ER -