Journal Article

The Effectiveness and Sustainability of a Universal School-Based Programme for Preventing Depression in Chinese Adolescents: A Follow-Up Study Using Quasi-Experimental Design

Lai, Eliza S. Y., Law, Yik-Wa, Fu, King-Wa, Yip, Paul S. F., Kwok, Chi-Leung, Wong, Paul W. C.

2016

Overview

A pilot study about the effectiveness of a universal school-based programme, \"The Little Prince is Depressed\", for preventing depression in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong was conducted and reported previously. This study used a larger sample to examine the effectiveness and sustainability of the programme. This study used quasi-experimental design. Twelve schools enrolled in \"The Little Prince is Depressed\" programme either as an intervention or a control condition. The intervention schools carried out the 12-session programme in two phases: the professional-led first phase and the teacher-led second phase. All participants were required to complete a questionnaire at three time points measuring their (1) depressive, anxiety, and stress levels; (2) knowledge of mental health; (3) attitudes towards mental illness; (4) perceived social support; and (5) help-seeking behaviours. A total of 3,391 students participated in the study. The level of depressive symptoms did not reduce significantly at post-intervention; however, a delayed effect was observed at follow-up assessment for the participants of the teacher-led group in reducing anxiety and stress levels. Also, the knowledge of mental health and attitudes towards mental illness of the intervention-group participants significantly improved at post-test, and the outcomes were maintained at 4 to 5 months after the intervention in both the professional-led and the teacher-led conditions (p<.05). A preference among schoolchildren for whom to seek help from was identified. The universal depression prevention programme was effective in enhancing knowledge of mental health and promoting a more positive attitude towards mental illness among adolescents in Hong Kong. In particular, the teacher-led group showed better outcomes than the professional-led group in reducing students' anxiety and stress at follow-up period. The programme can achieve sustainability in schools if teachers are provided with adequate support.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adolescent / Adolescent depression / Adolescents / Anxiety / Anxiety - prevention & control / Anxiety - psychology / Biology and Life Sciences / Children / Depression - prevention & control / Depression - psychology / Depression in adolescence / Design of experiments / Education / Elementary school students / Experimental design / Female / Follow-Up Studies / Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Humans / Intervention / Male / Medicine and Health Sciences / Mental depression / Mental disorders / Mental health / Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data / People and Places / Prevention / Program Evaluation / Psychological aspects / Quasi-experimental methods / Schools / Schools - statistics & numerical data / Social interactions / Social Sciences / Social Support / Stress / Stress, Psychological - prevention & control / Stress, Psychological - psychology / Stresses / Students / Sustainability / Teachers / Teenagers