Nurses’ perspective about the Mental Health First Aid Training Programmes for adolescents in upper secondary schools: A focus group study

Abstract

Accessible Summary What is known on the subject? Mental Health First Aid Training Programmes with a pathogenic perspective are implemented worldwide for different participants and contexts. These interventions can promote the medicalization and psychiatrization movement of human suffering. Training programmes should teach about mental health nursing problems rather than disorders. However, there seem to be no studies describing these healthier interventions targeting adolescents in upper secondary schools. Nurses can explore these interventions and target them towards these participants and contexts. What the paper adds to existing knowledge? The perspective of nurses on the characteristics of Mental Health First Aid Training Programmes for adolescents in Portuguese upper secondary schools is reported. Experts recognize that the nurses who perform these interventions must have personal, pedagogical and mental health competencies. Therefore, mental health nurses may be considered. The components of mental health literacy, mental health nursing problems and a dynamic first aid plan can be taught using different classroom training strategies. What are the implications for practice? The role of mental health nurses in promoting health literacy is highlighted. They have the opportunity to lead multidisciplinary teams in using these healthier training programmes. These expert opinions can shape the planning, implementation and evaluation of these interventions. In turn, training programmes can promote the identification, assistance and/or adequate and timely referral of people with mental health nursing problems. Abstract IntroductionMental Health First Aid Training Programmes performed by nurses can empower adolescents to aid people with mental health problems. There do not appear to be any studies that describe these healthier interventions aimed at adolescents in upper secondary schools. The development of these educational interventions benefits from the input of their participants and facilitators. AimTo explore the perspective of nurses about Mental Health First Aid Training Programmes for adolescents in upper secondary schools. MethodA qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study was conducted. Data were collected from seven mental health nurses during two focus group sessions. Data were analysed using content analysis. ResultsTwelve themes were identified around nine main areas: facilitators, intervention foci, outcomes assessment methods, process assessment methods, participants, implementation context, duration and frequency, intervention methods and strategies, and contents. DiscussionMental health nurses can regularly perform these classroom interventions to improve the mental health competencies of adolescents. Various educational methods can facilitate learning related to mental health literacy components, mental health nursing problems and the first aid plan. Valid and appropriate assessment methods enhance a good representation of these interventions. Implications for PracticeThis evidence...

Development of a Proposal for a Program to Promote Positive Mental Health Literacy among Adolescents: A Focus Group Study

“…In particular: (1) the need for good coordination with the school in terms of short- and medium-term planning; (2) the importance of involving the adolescents themselves in the planning and implementation of the program, giving priority to their expressed needs, their opinions and active participation in decision-making, as well as the involvement of the school and parents/legal representatives; (3) the requirement for the facilitating team to undergo training prior to the implementation of the program; (4) the need to adopt inclusive and more protective measures in case there are adolescents with special health and educational needs, or non-native speaking adolescents or adolescents with mental health concerns; (5) the extreme importance of having a previously defined referral circuit for specialized care for the adolescents that the facilitators identify during the implementation of the program; and (6) the establishment of partnerships with some entities, for example, for the analysis of the data resulting from the evaluation instruments, but which may also be important in the context of the aforementioned specialized care for adolescents. These suggestions are consistent with several published works [ 2 , 7 , 9 , 33 , 36 ].…”

“…They suggested that it should have a modular format, with several sessions, every two weeks or every month, each session lasting between 45 and 90 min, using mainly active pedagogical methods, using pedagogical techniques such as role-play, games, group dynamics, discussion and reflection, among others, and eventually resorting to the use of technology, as long as it is very carefully selected so that it does not become an obstacle. These suggestions from the participants are consistent with the studies developed by other authors, namely Parnell et al [ 29 ], Morgado et al [ 9 , 30 ], Laranjeira & Querido [ 31 ], Choi et al [ 32 ] and Costa et al [ 33 ]. The contents were thoroughly discussed by all participants, and the consensus was that the Multifactor Model of Positive Mental Health factors should be addressed, that is, personal satisfaction, pro-social attitude, self-control, autonomy, problem solving and self-actualization, and interpersonal relationship skills.…”

“…In the category ‘ participants ’, it was consensual that the program should have as its target group adolescents from the fifth grade on, and it was advised that the class to which the adolescents belong should not be broken up, but the class should be divided into small groups during the sessions [ 9 , 32 , 33 , 36 ]. Regarding the facilitators of the program, it was recommended that a team should be formed with health professionals and education professionals, which should remain unchanged from the beginning until the end of the program implementation, and that at least two facilitators must work together to run each session, which is in line with what is advocated by several authors [ 7 , 8 , 18 , 36 ].…”

Effectiveness of training program by blended learning on knowledge and practices regarding first aid among preparatory year engineering students at Assiut University

“…Therefore, these interventions can improve recovery and decrease human damage. 10 Students of industrial training institutions (ITI) eventually go on to work in a variety of fields and industries and are subject to accidents. The most crucial thing to do when someone is harmed is to assist.…”