Evaluation of the iHEART mental health education programme on resilience and well-being of UK secondary school adolescents

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a preliminary study based on a novel structured mental health education programme – Innate Health Education and Resilience Training (iHEART) – in a cohort of secondary school adolescents in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

A curriculum-based ten-week programme was delivered by trained facilitators. In total, 205 students enrolled in the study. An additional 64 participants were within an age-matched non-intervention control group. A non-randomised control mixed methodology approach was used. All students, pre- and post-programme, completed a quantitative questionnaire – the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Survey. Qualitative measures were used to assess participants’ perceptions of changes in their resilience and mental well-being.

Findings

Those who received the intervention showed a small improvement in mental well-being relative to those who did not, with a similar change in resilience. Qualitative findings regarding impulse control and emotional resilience provided positive findings.

Originality/value

iHEART may be a promising new intervention offering a step change in mental health education for improving resilience, mental well-being and the ability for participants to navigate psychological challenges.

Citation

Kelley, T., Kessel, A., Collings, R., Rubenstein, B., Monnickendam, C. and Solomon, A. (2021), "Evaluation of the iHEART mental health education programme on resilience and well-being of UK secondary school adolescents", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 43-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-03-2020-0019