"Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA): A Change Initiative in an Under" by Kate Wachutka, Mercedes Echevarria et al.
 

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA): A Change Initiative in an Underresourced School

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

11-25-2024

Journal

The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses

DOI

10.1177/10598405241293746

Keywords

mental health first aid (MHFA); mental health literacy (MHL); school-aged children; school-centered mental health toolkit

Abstract

School-aged children with unidentified mental illnesses experience poor health outcomes; managing this issue requires a collaborative community approach. The objective was to implement an evidence-based mental health education and sustainment program within an underresourced school setting for staff and parents/guardians supervising children to optimize adult mental health literacy (MHL). The intervention included Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training; measurements of pre- and post-MHL were completed with the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS). Sustainment was achieved by developing a school-centered mental health toolkit and integrating a school champion. There was a significant MHL score change from pretest to posttest. The toolkit bolstered sustainability by increasing the utilization of community resources. This mental health awareness initiative proved effective and can be expanded across similar underresourced schools to fill voids.

Department

Nursing Faculty Publications

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