Variation in global network properties across risk factors for adolescent internalizing symptoms: evidence of cumulative effects on structure and connectivity.

BACKGROUND: Identifying adolescents at risk of internalizing problems is a key priority. However, studies have tended to consider such problems in simple ways using diagnoses, or item summaries. Network theory and methods instead allow for more complex interaction between symptoms. Two key hypotheses predict differences in global network properties for those at risk: altered structure and increased connectivity. METHODS: The current study evaluated these hypotheses for nine risk factors (e.g. income deprivation and low parent/carer support) individually and cumulatively in a large sample of 12-15 year-olds (N = 34 564). Recursive partitioning and bootstrapped networks were used to evaluate structural and connectivity differences. RESULTS: The pattern of network interactions was shown to be significantly different via recursive partitioning for all comparisons across risk-present/absent groups and levels of cumulative risk, except for income deprivation. However, the magnitude of differences appeared small. Most individual risk factors also showed relatively small effects for connectivity. Exceptions were noted for gender and sexual minority risk groups, as well as low parent/carer support, where larger effects were evident. A strong linear trend was observed between increasing cumulative risk exposure and connectivity. CONCLUSIONS: A robust approach to considering the effect of risk exposure on global network properties was demonstrated. Results are consistent with the ideas that pathological states are associated with higher connectivity, and that the number of risks, regardless of their nature, is important. Gender/sexual minority status and low parent/carer support had the biggest individual impacts on connectivity, suggesting these are particularly important for identification and prevention.

Cumulative risk and adolescent emotional distress: A longitudinal moderated mediation analysis focusing on perceived stress and social support.

This study provides insights into the roles played by perceived stress and social support in the relationship between cumulative risk exposure (CRE) and adolescent emotional distress. Preregistered longitudinal moderated mediation analyses were used to test hypotheses relating to the association between CRE and later emotional distress; the mediating role of perceived stress in the relationship between CRE and later emotional distress; and, the moderating effects of peer and adult-level family support on the relationship between CRE and later perceived stress, among N = 19,159 adolescents over three annual waves (at ages 11/12, 12/13, 13/14). Analyses revealed that CRE significantly predicted later adolescent emotional distress. This relationship was partially mediated by perceived stress. Both peer and adult-level family support significantly moderated the impact of CRE on later perceived stress (i.e., adolescents reporting higher levels of support perceived significantly lower levels of stress resulting from CRE compared to those reporting lower levels of support). These findings provide critical empirical evidence of the roles played by perceived stress and social support in the relationship between CRE and adolescent emotional distress, with consequent implications for intervention.

Latent classes of adolescent health behaviour, social covariates and mental wellbeing: a longitudinal birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent mental wellbeing has been declining in the United Kingdom for over a decade. Expansion of services to support the mental wellbeing of young people is a public health priority and a core component of the National Health Service's Long-Term Plan. In this paper, we leverage secondary analysis of a very large longitudinal dataset (#BeeWell) to generate insights regarding different patterns of health behaviour, their covariates, and consequences for mental wellbeing one year later. METHODS: A Latent Class Analysis was conducted using data on physical activity, sleep, and eating habits collected in 2021 from 18,478 Year 8 pupils from Greater Manchester (United Kingdom) to (1) identify distinct latent classes of adolescent health behaviour; (2) establish factors likely to be associated with latent class membership; and (3) determine whether latent class membership contributes to variance in self-reported mental wellbeing one year later. RESULTS: A three-class solution was identified as an excellent fit to the data, discriminating between: the Wellness Weary (n = 2,717; 15%); the Balanced Bunch (n = 7,377; 40%); and the Green and Dream Team (n = 8,384; 45%). Several factors significantly influenced class membership. Most notably, socio-economic disadvantage and social media use were linked with less favourable health behaviour patterns, whilst cisgender heterosexual girls were likely to endorse healthier patterns. After adjusting for covariates, the Green and Dream Team reported significantly greater mental wellbeing than the Balanced Bunch one year later. However, there was no difference between the Balanced Bunch and the Wellness Weary, signalling that health behaviours may support mental wellbeing, but only among the healthiest young people. CONCLUSIONS: Beyond advancements in fundamental understanding, our findings yield significant translation opportunities through their use and application in health, education, and allied professional settings designed to support young people.

Do Patterns of Adolescent Participation in Arts, Culture and Entertainment Activities Predict Later Wellbeing? A Latent Class Analysis.

Participation in arts, culture, and entertainment (PACE) activities may promote adolescent wellbeing. However, little is known about how such activities cluster together, and previous research has used small samples, cross-sectional designs, focused on single activities, and/or has not considered the influence of socio-demographic factors on participation. Using latent class analysis, the aims of this study were to establish: (i) classes of adolescent PACE activities; (ii) associations between socio-demographic characteristics and PACE classification; and, (iii) whether PACE classification predicts later wellbeing. Longitudinal data from the #BeeWell study (N = 18,224 adolescents; mean age at T1 = 12 years 7 months (±3.56 months); 50.54% female) were analyzed. Four latent classes were established: the 'Dynamic Doers' (high, wide-ranging participation; 11.87%); the 'Mind and Body Crew' (reading, arts, videogames, sports/exercise; 39.81%); the 'Game and Gain Squad' (videogames and sports/exercise; 29.05%); and the 'Activity Free Adolescents' (uniformly low participation; 19.27%). Associations between socio-demographic characteristics and PACE classification were observed (e.g., socio-economic disadvantage increased the likelihood of Activity Free Adolescents classification, compared to Game and Gain Squad classification). Finally, PACE classification predicted later wellbeing (e.g., Dynamic Doers reported significantly higher wellbeing than Activity Free Adolescents). These findings are discussed in relation to the need to improve accessibility and appeal of arts, culture, and entertainment provision for adolescents as a means to optimize their wellbeing. PRE-REGISTRATION: The analysis plan for this study was pre-registered on the Open Science Framework and can be found here: https://osf.io/2jtpd.

Longitudinal relationships across emotional distress, perceived emotion regulation, and social connections during early adolescence: A developmental cascades investigation.

Early adolescence is a vulnerable period for emotional distress. Both emotion regulation and social connection to peers and family adults are understood to be associated with distress. However, existing longitudinal work has not explored these constructs jointly in a way that estimates their reciprocal relationships over adolescence. We present a three-wave random-intercepts cross-lagged panel model of reciprocal relationships between emotional distress, perceived emotion regulation, and social connections during early adolescence, among 15,864 participants from education settings in disadvantaged areas of England, over three annual waves (at ages 11/12, 12/13, and 13/14 years). Findings showed that emotional distress and perceived emotion regulation share a negative relationship over time, and that higher perceived emotion regulation predicts greater family connection in the initial stages of early adolescence (from age 11-12 to 12-13 years). Findings also indicated that connection to peers is positively associated with family connection, but also positively predicts slightly greater distress in the later stages of early adolescence (from age 12-13 to 13-14 years). Findings indicate a risk of negative spiral between emotional distress and perceived emotion regulation in early adolescence, and that social connection may not necessarily play the role we might expect in reducing distress.

Longitudinal pathways between emotional difficulties and school absenteeism in middle childhood: Evidence from developmental cascades.

Emotional difficulties are associated with both authorized and unauthorized school absence, but there has been little longitudinal research and the temporal nature of these associations remains unclear. This study presents three-wave random-intercepts panel models of longitudinal reciprocal relationships between teacher-reported emotional difficulties and authorized and unauthorized school absence in 2,542 English children aged 6 to 9 years old at baseline, who were followed-up annually. Minor differences in the stability effects were observed between genders but only for the authorized absence model. Across all time points, children with greater emotional difficulties had more absences, and vice versa (authorized: ρ = .23-.29, p < .01; unauthorized: ρ = .28, p < .01). At the within-person level, concurrent associations showed that emotional difficulties were associated with greater authorized (ß = .15-.17, p < .01) absence at Time 3 only, but with less unauthorized (ß = -.08-.13, p < .05) absence at Times 1 and 2. In cross-lagged pathways, neither authorized nor unauthorized absence predicted later emotional difficulties, and emotional difficulties did not predict later authorized absence at any time point. However, greater emotional difficulties were associated with fewer unauthorized absences across time (ß = -13-.22, p < .001). The implications of these findings are discussed.

Neighbourhood effects on loneliness among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is a growing public health concern, but little is known about how place affects loneliness, especially during adolescence. This is the first study to examine the influence of neighbourhoods on loneliness in early-to-mid adolescence. METHODS: Baseline data from the #BeeWell cohort study in Greater Manchester (England), including 36 141 adolescents (aged 12-15 years) across 1590 neighbourhoods, were linked to neighbourhood characteristics using administrative data at the level of lower super output areas and analysed using multilevel regression. RESULTS: Neighbourhood differences explained 1.18% of the variation in loneliness. Ethnic, gender and sexual orientation inequalities in loneliness varied across neighbourhoods. Several neighbourhood characteristics predicted loneliness at the individual level, including skills deprivation among children and young people, lower population density and perceptions of the local area (feeling safe; trust in local people; feeling supported by local people; seeing neighbours as helpful; the availability of good places to spend free time). Finally, a longer distance from home to school was associated with significantly higher loneliness. CONCLUSIONS: Neighbourhoods account for a small but significant proportion of the variation in adolescent loneliness, with some neighbourhood characteristics predicting loneliness at the individual level, and loneliness disparities for some groups differing across neighbourhoods.

Gender and sexual identity-based inequalities in adolescent wellbeing: findings from the #BeeWell Study.

BACKGROUND: Gender and sexual minority adolescents experience greater symptoms of psychological distress than their peers, but little is known about broader aspects of their wellbeing. This study examines wellbeing inequalities relating to gender and sexual identity among adolescents from Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. METHOD: 37,978 adolescents (aged 12-15, attending 165 secondary schools) completed surveys of life satisfaction, positive and negative affect (hedonic framework); autonomy, self-esteem, optimism, and positive relationships (eudaimonic framework); and, symptoms of distress and mental wellbeing (complete state framework). Structural correlated factors models were used to assess gender and sexual identity wellbeing inequalities. RESULTS: The magnitude of wellbeing inequalities pertaining to gender and sexual identity were routinely substantially greater than those concerning other characteristics (e.g., socio-economic disadvantage). Gender identity wellbeing inequalities followed a consistent pattern, with the largest disparities evident between gender diverse adolescents and boys. Sexual identity wellbeing inequalities also followed a consistent pattern, with the largest disparities evident between sexual minority youth (both gay/lesbian and bi/pansexual) and their heterosexual peers. Finally, variation was evident across wellbeing domains. For example, observed gender identity (boys vs. girls) and sexual identity (heterosexual vs. sexual minority) disparities were substantially greater for symptoms of distress than for mental wellbeing in the complete state model. CONCLUSIONS: LGBTQ + adolescents experience lower wellbeing than their peers, and this is evident across a range of wellbeing domains. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for the prioritisation of improved prevention and intervention efforts that can better meet the needs of gender diverse and sexual minority youth, and future research should be conducted to improve understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the wellbeing inequalities observed.

This is the place: a multi-level analysis of neighbourhood correlates of adolescent wellbeing.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescent wellbeing is a key research and policy priority, but little is known about neighbourhood-level influences. This study examined the extent to which adolescents' life satisfaction and internalising symptoms vary between neighbourhoods, and which neighbourhood characteristics are associated with individual outcomes. METHOD: Baseline data from the #BeeWell cohort study in Greater Manchester (England) including 35,902 adolescents (aged 12-15) across 243 neighbourhoods were linked to neighbourhood characteristics (e.g. access to education and health services, leisure facilities) from the Co-op's Community Wellbeing Index and analysed using multi-level regression. RESULTS: Neighbourhoods explained 0.61% and 1.17% of the variation in life satisfaction and internalising symptoms, respectively. Socio-demographic inequalities in these outcomes varied across neighbourhoods. Several neighbourhood characteristics were associated with wellbeing, but differences across model specifications were observed (e.g. adjusted vs unadjusted; unique associations vs grouped domains). However, higher levels of perceived wellbeing support from local people were associated with lower internalising symptoms in all models. Other characteristics associated with better wellbeing outcomes in various models included lower GP antidepressant prescription rates, and better access to health services, areas for leisure, and good places to spend free time. CONCLUSION: Neighbourhoods account for a small but significant proportion of the variance in adolescent life satisfaction and internalising symptoms. Some neighbourhood characteristics (notably neighbourhood social capital) are associated with these outcomes at the individual level, and disparities in these outcomes for some groups vary across neighbourhoods. Our findings speak to the role of place as a determinant of adolescent wellbeing, with consequent implications for intervention.

Getting the pieces to fit: NHS and third sector collaboration to enhance crisis mental health service provision for young people.

BACKGROUND: The increase in demand for young people's mental health services has been met by a growth of co-located mental health service provision in the NHS and third sector. This research explores the benefits and challenges of the NHS collaborating with a charity to provide a step-down crisis mental health service for young people in Greater Manchester, and suggests how the collaboration between the NHS and third sector may be improved for future projects. METHODS: Working from a critical realist paradigm, this qualitative case study utilised thematic analysis of 9 in-depth interviews with operational stakeholders from 3 operational layers, to explore insiders' perspectives of the benefits and challenges of collaboration between the NHS and third sector in the context of the 'Safe Zones' initiative. RESULTS: Themes relating to perceived benefits of collaboration were: doing things differently, flexibility, a hybrid approach, shared expertise, and shared learning. These were counterbalanced by perceived challenges: getting the pieces to fit, obtaining a shared vision, geography, lack of referrals, and timing. The importance of effective communication (e.g. of shared vision, standard operating procedures, key performance indicators) was noted as central to addressing challenges and reaping benefits. CONCLUSIONS: NHS and third sector collaboration can yield a range of benefits, some of which can mitigate against the perceived inflexibility and restrictive nature of usual mental health service provision, thereby providing a vehicle for innovation in step-down crisis care for young people.

Child and adolescent mental health services in a devolved healthcare system: a qualitative exploration of sustainable practices.

BACKGROUND: The transference of research evidence into routine healthcare practice remains poorly understood. This includes understanding the prerequisites of longer-term viability. The present study investigated the sustainable practices of GM i-THRIVE, a programme which reconceptualizes mental health services for children and young people (CYP) in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. We aimed to establish whether a sustainable future was likely, and to identify areas of focus to improve that likelihood. METHODS: The NHS Sustainability Model, typically completed as a questionnaire measure, was converted into interview questions. The responses of nine professionals, from a variety of roles across the CYP mental health workforce, were explored using inductive thematic framework analysis. Selected participants completed the original questionnaire. RESULTS: Five themes (communication; support; barriers to implementation; past, present, and future: the implementation journey; and the nuances of GM i-THRIVE) and 21 subthemes formed the final thematic framework. Relationships with senior leaders and with colleagues across the workforce were seen as important. Leaders' roles in providing meaning and fit were emphasized. Whilst training delivered the programme's aims well, monitoring its dissemination was challenging. Widespread issues with dedicating sufficient time to implementation were raised. The flexibility of the programme, which can be applied in multiple ways, was discussed positively. This flexibility links to the idea of GM i-THRIVE as a mindset change, and the uniqueness of this style of intervention was discussed. To varying degrees, themes were supported by responses to the quantitative measure, although several limitations to the use of the questionnaire were discovered. Consequently, they were used to infer conclusions to a lesser degree than originally intended. CONCLUSIONS: Professionals involved with GM i-THRIVE reported many elements that indicate a positive future for the programme. However, they suggested that more attention should be given to embedding the core concepts of the model at the current stage of implementation. Limitations relating to its use within our study are discussed, but we conclude that the NHS Sustainability Model is a suitable way of guiding qualitative implementation research. It is especially valuable for localized interventions. The constraints of our small sample size on transferability are considered.

The impact of universal, school based, interventions on help seeking in children and young people: a systematic literature review.

Reviews into universal interventions to improve help seeking in young people focus on specific concepts, such as behaviour, do not differentiate between interpersonal and intrapersonal help seeking, and often report on statistical significance, rather than effect size. The aim of this review was to address the gaps highlighted above, to investigate the impact of universal, school-based interventions on help-seeking in children and young people, as well as to explore longer term impact. Four databases were searched. Data were extracted on country of origin, design, participant, school, and intervention characteristics, the help-seeking concept measured (e.g. knowledge, attitude/intention, behaviour), the duration between baseline and each follow-up (if applicable) and effect sizes at each follow-up. Quality assessment of the studies was undertaken using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool. Overall, 14 different interventions met inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were rated low in the quality assessment. Three constructs were most frequently reported a) intrapersonal attitudes towards help-seeking, b) interpersonal attitudes towards help-seeking and c) intrapersonal intended help-seeking. Findings around intervention effect were mixed. There was tentative evidence that interventions impacting interpersonal attitudes produced small effect sizes when measured between 3 and 6 months post intervention and that when effect sizes were initially observed intrapersonal attitudes, this remained at 3-6 month follow-up. Further work should pay attention to implementation factors, understanding the core ingredients needed to deliver effective interventions and whether embedding mental health education could help sustain or top up effect sizes from help-seeking interventions.

Barriers and facilitators to training delivery and subsequent implementation of a localised child and adolescent mental health initiative: a qualitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ensuring that children and young people (CYP) can obtain mental health support from a broad variety of sources is of upmost importance. This is especially true given the increasing prevalence of mental health difficulties in this population, and the associated challenges with receiving support from specialised healthcare services. Equipping professionals, from a wide range of sectors, with the skills needed to provide this support is a vital starting point. This study explored the experiences of professionals who had participated in CYP mental health training modules that related directly to the local implementation of the THRIVE Framework for System Change in Greater Manchester, UK (GM i-THRIVE) to establish the perceived barriers and facilitators behind the implementation of this training programme. METHODS: Directed qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interview data from nine CYP-facing professionals was conducted. Both the interview schedule and initial deductive coding strategy were developed using the findings of a systematic literature review by the authors, that was conducted to explore wider CYP mental health training experiences. This methodology was used to establish the presence or absence of these findings within GM i-THRIVE, before generating tailored recommendations for their training programme. RESULTS: When the interview data were coded and analysed, a strong level of thematic similarity with the authors' review was found. However, we deduced that the emergence of additional themes might reflect the contextual uniqueness of GM i-THRIVE, that is likely to be further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Six recommendations were made for further improvement. These included the facilitation of unstructured peer interaction during training, and ensuring that jargon and key words are fully clarified. CONCLUSIONS: Methodological limitations, guidance for usage, and potential applications of the study's findings are explored. Whilst the findings were largely akin to those of the review, subtle yet important differences were found. These are likely to reflect the nuances of the training programme discussed, however, we tentatively suggest that our findings are transferable to similar training interventions. This study provides a valuable example of how qualitative evidence syntheses can be used to aid study design and analysis: an underused approach.

Internalizing symptoms, well-being, and correlates in adolescence: A multiverse exploration via cross-lagged panel network models.

Internalizing symptoms are the most prevalent mental health problem in adolescents, with sharp increases seen, particularly for girls, and evidence that young people today report more problems than previous generations. It is therefore critical to measure and monitor these states on a large scale and consider correlates. We used novel panel network methodology to explore relationships between internalizing symptoms, well-being, and inter/intrapersonal indicators. A multiverse design was used with 32 conditions to consider the stability of results across arbitrary researcher decisions in a large community sample over three years (N = 15,843, aged 11-12 at Time 1). Networks were consistently similar for girls and boys. Stable trait-like effects within anxiety, attentional, and social indicators were found. Within-person networks were densely connected and suggested mental health and inter/intrapersonal correlates related to one another in similar complex ways. The multiverse design suggested the particular operationalization of items can substantially influence conclusions. Nevertheless, indicators such as thinking clearly, unhappiness, dealing with stress, and worry showed more consistent centrality, suggesting these indicators may play particularly important roles in the development of mental health in adolescence.

Gender operationalisation and stress measurement in research with adolescent males: a scoping review.

AIM: Stress measurement in adolescent males is in its relative infancy, which is likely to influence the effectiveness of mental health services for this heterogeneous population. Although evidence suggests the prevalence of mental health difficulties increases during adolescence, the relationship between gender and stress measurement is less explored or understood. This review summarizes findings on gender operationalisation and stress measurement in research with adolescent males. METHODS: For this scoping review, six electronic databases across social and life sciences were searched using terms linked to adolescence, male, stress and research design. Articles were screened, data were extracted, and a narrative synthesis used to characterise studies by research design, adaptation of method for participants' cultural context, operationalisation of gender, and measurement of stress. RESULTS: Searches identified 3259 citations, 95 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Findings suggest that research on psychological stress in adolescence is a developing field, but one that is currently dominated by Western studies. Furthermore, the results indicate that stress measurement research with adolescent males tends not to make adaptations relative to participants' gender, age, or context. CONCLUSIONS: Stress research with adolescent males is lacking in scope. This review highlights the need for researchers to consider stress responses as more than a biological response, as it has been conceptualised historically. Recommendations for researchers to report research design and protocol more clearly are made to support readers to understand how stress and gender have been operationalised and measured and how this may influence research methodology. Future research should avoid conflating biological differences with gendered experience and demonstrate greater sensitivity to how gender identity may intersect with age and location to perpetuate gendered inequalities.

Bounce Back: randomised trial of a brief, school-based group intervention for children with emergent mental health difficulties.

We report the findings of the first randomised trial of Bounce Back, a brief, school-based group intervention for children with emergent mental health difficulties, whose aim is to improve their understanding of resilience and well-being, support them to build their confidence and friendships, and provide practical skills to make positive behaviour changes. 24 primary schools (N = 326 children) were randomly allocated to deliver the intervention or continue practice as usual in a waitlist design. Children in the intervention arm of the trial worked in groups of up to 15, supported by a trained youth practitioner, over ten weekly sessions that were delivered during the school day for up to an hour. Measures of emotional symptoms, behavioural difficulties, problem-solving, and self-esteem were recorded at baseline and post-intervention follow-up. Routinely collected session attendance data were used as a proxy for intervention compliance. Intent to treat analyses revealed that Bounce Back produced significant reductions in emotional symptoms (d = - 0.21). Furthermore, complier average causal effect analyses established that intervention compliance modified this treatment effect, such that children who attended more sessions accrued greater reductions in symptoms (moderate compliance d = - 0.54; high compliance d = - 0.61). There were no intervention effects for any of the other outcomes. Collectively, these findings provide robust preliminary evidence of the efficacy of Bounce Back.Trial registration: ISRCTN11162672.

Dual-Factor Mental Health from Childhood to Early Adolescence and Associated Factors: A Latent Transition Analysis.

The dual-factor model of mental health indicates the importance of simultaneously assessing symptoms and subjective wellbeing, but there is limited understanding of how dual-factor mental health changes during the transition from childhood to early adolescence and factors associated with change. The current study investigated dual-factor mental health over a 2-year period from when children were 8-9 years old to 10-11 years old (N = 2402; 48% female), using latent transition analysis. Further analyses determined whether sex and peer support were associated with initial mental health status or specific transitions during this period. Following class enumeration procedures, a 5-class model was selected at both timepoints. Classes were: (1) complete mental health, (2) vulnerable, (3) emotional symptoms but content, (4) conduct problems but content, and (5) troubled. Half of the sample changed mental health status during the study period. Sex and peer support were associated with specific mental health statuses and subsequent transitions. The findings have implications for mental health screening practice and identifying those in need of targeted interventions.

Cumulative risk exposure and emotional symptoms among early adolescent girls.

BACKGROUND: From early adolescence, girls and women report the highest rates of emotional symptoms, and there is evidence of increased prevalence in recent years. We investigate risk factors and cumulative risk exposure (CRE) in relation to emotional symptoms among early adolescent girls. METHODS: We used secondary data analysis, drawing on data capturing demographic information and self-reported emotional symptoms from 8327 girls aged 11-12 years from the 2017 baseline data collection phase of the HeadStart evaluation. We used structural equation modelling to identify risk factors in relation to self-reported emotional symptoms, and collated this into a CRE index to investigate associations between CRE and emotional symptoms. RESULTS: Four risk factors were found to have a statistically significant relationship with emotional symptoms among early adolescent girls: low academic attainment, special educational needs, low family income, and caregiving responsibilities. CRE was positively associated with emotional symptoms, with a small effect size. CONCLUSIONS: Results identify risk factors (outlined above) that are associated with emotional symptoms among early adolescent girls, and highlight that early adolescent girls experiencing a greater number of risk factors in their lives are likely to also experience greater emotional distress. Findings highlight the need for identification and targeted mental health intervention (e.g., individual or group counselling, approaches targeting specific symptoms), for those facing greater risk and/or with emergent symptoms.

Educators' perceived mental health literacy and capacity to support students' mental health: associations with school-level characteristics and provision in England.

Conceptual frameworks for school-based, preventive interventions recognise that educators' capacity is, in part, dependent on school-level characteristics. This study aimed to (i) examine the factor structure and internal consistency of the Mental Health Literacy and Capacity Survey for Educators (MHLCSE); (ii) assess responses in relation to supporting students' mental health; (iii) describe schools' mental health provision in terms of designated roles, training offered, and perceived barriers; (iv) investigate variance in MHLCSE outcomes explained by schools; and, (v) explore school-level predictors of educators' perceived MHL and capacity after controlling for individual-level characteristics. A multi-level, cross-sectional design involving 710 educators across 248 schools in England was used, and secondary analyses of baseline data collected as part of the Education for Wellbeing Programme were conducted. Mental health provision data was available for 206 schools, of which 95% offered training to some staff, and 71% had a designated mental health lead. Secondary schools offered significantly more training than primary schools. Significant barriers included lack of capacity in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and within school, and communication challenges between agencies. The amount of training offered by schools significantly predicted educators' awareness and knowledge of mental health issues, treatments and services, legislation and processes for supporting students' mental health and comfort providing active support, with increased training predicting higher scores. However, little variance was explained by schools (1.7-12.1%) and school-level variables (0.7-1.2%). Results are discussed in relation to current mental health and education policy in England.

Delivering and implementing child and adolescent mental health training for mental health and allied professionals: a systematic review and qualitative meta-aggregation.

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of mental health difficulties among children and young people (CYP) suggests that early intervention is vital. A comprehensive system of care and support requires the involvement of mental health professionals, including psychologists and psychiatrists, and allied professionals, including teachers, police, and youth workers. A critical starting point is the provision of effective training, in order that these professionals can better support the mental health needs of the CYP that they encounter. OBJECTIVES: Given the primacy of training in the CYP mental health support system, understanding the factors that maximise potential gains and facilitate uptake is pertinent. The current review therefore located and explored qualitative research evidence, to identify the barriers and facilitators underpinning successful delivery and implementation of training focussed on the mental health of CYP, for both mental health and allied professionals. METHODS: A systematic review and qualitative meta-aggregation were conducted. Systematic searches were carried out using ASSIA, EMBASE, MEDLINE, NICE Evidence, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases, for papers published between 2000 and 2020. Twelve thousand four hundred forty-eight records were identified, of which 39 were eligible for review. The records were appraised for quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research, and synthesised using the qualitative meta-aggregation method. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-two raw findings were extracted from the 39 papers, which were condensed into 47 sub-categories, 19 categories, and finally 5 synthesis statements. These synthesis statements reflected the barriers and facilitators influencing the training delivery process ("support"; "content, design, and planning"), and the implementation of training into the workplace ("context"; "perceived value"; "organisational factors"). CONCLUSIONS: The synthesis statements and underlying categories provide practical recommendations for those designing, delivering, or implementing CYP mental health training. Recommendations ranged from facilitating peer support during training, to the idea that training will be better implemented when perceived need is high. The review provides a robust evidence-based foundation to "common-sense" principles, drawing them into a coherent and organised framework using a synthesis method grounded in pragmatism. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO reference ID: CRD42020162876.