Effectiveness of a School Wellbeing Programme for Internalising Problems in Irish Primary School Children

Evaluating the Impact of a School Wellbeing Programme on Internalising Problems in Primary School Children

The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a school-based multi-component universal programme for the reduction of internalising problems (i.e. anxiety and low mood) in primary school pupils.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Anxiety; Low Mood
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: A Lust for Life Schools Programme

Detailed Description

Childhood and adolescence are important developmental phases for wellbeing and mental health. School has been noted in psychological literature to be a favourable environment for mental health initiatives, such as school-based programmes. Universal programmes are programmes delivered to all pupils irrespective of perceived need and have several advantages, including having a wide reach, avoiding the need for screening and are less stigmatising.

A Lust for Life is a universal school-based multi-component intervention whose target is to build well-being and emotional resilience in children. The programme was informed by evidence-based psychological approaches including cognitive behaviour therapy, positive psychology and mindfulness and consists of six lessons, each delivered by the pupils' school teacher on a weekly basis. The lessons involve classroom discussions, videos, classroom activities and homework assignments.

Study participants will complete the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale Short Format, Coping strategy indicator and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children pre-intervention. Following this, schools randomly assigned to the experimental group will receive A Lust for Life, while those randomly assigned to the control group will be placed on a sixteen-week waiting list. The questionnaire measures and a Brief Satisfaction Scale will be completed by participants at post-intervention. In addition, a six-week follow-up assessment will determine whether the effects of the programme are sustained over a period of time. The programme will be delivered in the waiting list control group schools after the six-week follow-up assessment.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 400
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Ireland
  • Tipperary
    • Dublin, Tipperary, Ireland, E41 AT10
      • University College Dublin

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 10 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Child
• Enrolled in primary school in Ireland
• Obtain written informed consent from parents/guardians
• Provide written assent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Failure to meet inclusion criteria

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: A Lust for Life Schools Programme Group; A Lust for Life programme will be delivered to primary school pupils by their school teachers in six weekly lessons. Well-being and resilience will be promoted in each lesson through classroom discussions, videos, classroom activities and homework assignments.	Behavioral: A Lust for Life Schools Programme; A Lust for Life is a universal school-based multi-component programme whose target is to build well-being and emotional resilience in children. The programme was informed by evidence-based psychological approaches including mindfulness, cognitive behaviour therapy and positive psychology. It is delivered in six weekly lessons by the childrens' school teacher and involves classroom discussions, videos, classroom activities and homework assignments.
No Intervention: Waiting list control group; Participants will be placed on a sixteen-week waiting list for the programme.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Symptoms of anxiety and low mood measured by the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale Short Form	25-item self-report measure of anxiety and depression symptoms of individuals aged 8-18 years.	16 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Coping skills as measured by the Coping Strategy Indicator	33-item measure that measures three coping factors: seeking social support, problem-solving, and avoidance.	16 weeks
Self-efficacy as measured by the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children	24-item questionnaire that measures three factors: academic, social and emotional self-efficacy.	16 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Satisfaction with the programme measured by the Brief Satisfaction Scale	Scores on each item of the Brief Satisfaction Scale range from 1 to 7	10 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University College Dublin
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Aoife Clancy, University College Dublin

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 11, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): November 30, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 7, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 20, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): September 29, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 4, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 3, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Depression
• Other Study ID Numbers: aclancy

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Yes
• IPD Plan Description: The de-identified data collected in this research will be archived. Other researchers may contact the investigators to access the de-identified data for use in research into anxiety, depression, coping skills and self-efficacy.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: The data collected in this study will be made available for other researchers after a manuscript reporting on the study's findings has been accepted for publication.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Data may be accessed for use in research into anxiety, depression, coping skills and self-efficacy.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No