Designing and Evaluating a Classroom-Based Mental Health Programme for Adolescents.

June 16, 2026 updated by: Gavin Davidson, Queen's University, Belfast

The Development, Feasibility, and Acceptability of a Classroom-based Psychoeducational Programme About Psychosis for Adolescents.

This study is a mixed-methods feasibility trial designed to examine whether a universal classroom-based psychoeducational programme which covers unusual sensory experiences, psychosis, mental health stigma, and coping strategies can be delivered in secondary schools in Northern Ireland.

The study aims to determine whether the programme is feasible to deliver, whether students find it acceptable, and whether it is possible to collect questionnaire and reflection data at multiple time points.

Students will attend four classroom sessions delivered by the researcher as part of timetabled enrichment lessons. They will complete questionnaires before the programme, after it ends, and one month later. Brief reflections will also be completed after each session.

A small number of students may take part in an interview to explore their experiences of the programme. As a feasibility study, this trial does not assess intervention effectiveness but will inform the design of a future full-scale trial.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a mixed-methods feasibility study to evaluate the delivery, feasibility and acceptability of a universal psychoeducational programme. The intervention aims to build students' mental-health literacy and confidence in recognising and responding to distress. The programme is educational in focus; it is not designed to diagnose, treat symptoms, or identify individuals at clinical risk.

The trial uses a non-randomised parallel-group design in which participating secondary schools are allocated to either the intervention arm or a teaching-as-usual control arm. The intervention comprises four structured classroom sessions delivered within the normal school timetable. Session content includes: (1) understanding mental health and the stress response; (2) understanding unusual sensory experiences and psychosis; (3) understanding stigma and media influences; and (4) understanding thoughts and feelings using cognitive behavioural therapy-informed coping strategies. Sessions use multimedia materials, group discussion, and workbook activities. All content was co-designed with individuals with lived experience of psychosis, mental health professionals, and teachers. Students in the control arm will continue with teaching-as-usual during data collection and will be offered the intervention after the study follow-up period (waitlist).

Quantitive data will be collected at multiple timepoints to assess feasibility including recruitment, retention, data completeness, adherence to planned session components. Students will complete baseline, post intervention and one month follow up questionnaires, as well as brief surveys and reflections after each session to capture engagement and acceptability.

Pre-post changes in key outcomes will be explored descriptively using repeated measures approaches to examine patterns of change and to estimate variance for planning a future definitive trial, where data completeness permits.

Psychotic-like experiences, emotional and behavioural functioning, and help-seeking intentions will be assessed using validated self-report tools. These include the Prodromal Questionnaire-16 (PQ-16), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Mental Help Seeking Intention Scale (MHSIS).

A qualitative component, consisting of semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants will explore experiences of the programme, perceived relevance, acceptability and suggestions for refinement.

The primary purpose of this study is feasibility rather than efficacy. Findings will inform decisions about progression to a future trial, including necessary refinements to content, delivery and evaluation procedures.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
120

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United Kingdom
      • Antrim, United Kingdom
        • Post Primary Schools x2
      • Newtownabbey, United Kingdom
        • Post Primary Schools x 2

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Students aged 16-18 years enrolled in participating secondary schools in Northern Ireland.
  • Able to provide informed consent in accordance with the approved ethics protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Students who decline consent or whose parent/carer opts them out, where applicable.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intervention
Universal classroom-based psychoeducational programme delivered in four sessions within the school timetable.
Behavioral: School-Based Mental Health Programme
Four structured classroom sessions delivered by the researcher covering mental health literacy, unusual sensory experiences, psychosis awareness, stigma, and coping strategies. Sessions involve multimedia materials, discussion, and group activities.
No Intervention: Control
Teaching-as-usual during data collection; students offered the intervention afterwards (waitlist).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Recruitment Feasibility
Time Frame: Up to 3 months from recruitment opening.
Number of students recruited and percentage of the planned recruitment target achieved, overall and by school/arm.
Up to 3 months from recruitment opening.
Data Collection Feasibility
Time Frame: At baseline, immediately after the final intervention session, and 1 month after the final intervention session.
Proportion of enrolled students completing planned questionnaire measures at T1, T2, and T3.
At baseline, immediately after the final intervention session, and 1 month after the final intervention session.
Intervention Attendance / Exposure
Time Frame: At each intervention session and at completion of the 4-session intervention.
Number and proportion of recruited students attending each intervention session, and number/proportion attending one or more sessions, two or more sessions, three or more sessions, and all four sessions.
At each intervention session and at completion of the 4-session intervention.
Fidelity to Session Structure
Time Frame: Immediately after each intervention session.
Proportion of planned session components delivered, assessed using researcher-completed session checklists.
Immediately after each intervention session.
Student-Reported Acceptability Ratings After Each Session
Time Frame: Up to 1 week after each session.
Ratings of acceptability, relevance, and engagement collected through brief session reflections and questionnaires, summarised descriptively.
Up to 1 week after each session.
Qualitative themes relating to intervention acceptability
Time Frame: Within 8 weeks of the final intervention session.
Themes identified through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with students, examining perceived acceptability, relevance, engagement, barriers and facilitators to participation, and suggestions for programme refinement.
Within 8 weeks of the final intervention session.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Exploratory indicators of potential effectiveness
Time Frame: At baseline, immediately after the final intervention session, and 1 month after the final intervention session.
Descriptive exploration of pre-post changes using repeated-measures approaches to examine patterns of change and estimate variance for planning a future definitive trial, without inferential hypothesis testing.
At baseline, immediately after the final intervention session, and 1 month after the final intervention session.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Queen's University, Belfast

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Health Research Board, Ireland

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Gavin Davidson, Queen's University Belfast, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work
  • Principal Investigator: Ciaran Shannon, Northern Health & Social Care Trust
  • Principal Investigator: Ciaran Mulholland, Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 6, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 16, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 16, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • QUB_SREC_166_2324
  • CDA210005 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Health Research Board Ireland)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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