Table 3.
Design and outcome characteristics of secondary school-based studies
| Study (% quality rating) | Study design | Measures | Follow-up | Effects/outcomes |
| Boniwell et al
35
(37.5%) |
Non-randomised control group pre-post design. ‘Personal Wellbeing’ intervention group (n=211) × control group (n=85). |
|
Baseline; postintervention (10-month follow-up). | No significant improvement on SLSS or MSLSS. Decrease in ‘satisfaction with school’ (d=0.4*) and ‘friends’ (d=−0.17) scores for whole sample. Decrease in positive affect for both intervention and control groups (d=−0.24*; −0.79*); increase in negative affect (d=0.54*) for control group. Noted: those lost to follow-up (n=103) not accounted for in analysis. |
| Challen et al.36
(78.1%) |
Non-randomised pragmatic controlled trial. UKRP intervention (n=1016) group × control (n=1894) group.† |
|
Baseline; postintervention (4–9 months); 1-year follow-up; 2-year follow-up. | Small significant impact on CDI postintervention (d=0.093*); not maintained at 1-year or 2-year follow-up. No significant effects on RCMAS or SDQ scores. |
| Chisholm et al
37
(75%) |
Pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trail, randomised by independent researcher. ‘Contact and MH Education’ (n=354) group × MH education (n=303) group.‡ No ‘as usual’ controls. |
|
Baseline – 2 weeks prior to intervention day; 2-week postintervention day. |
Statistical sig. improvements on several scales postintervention day for both groups – ‘contact and education’ and ‘education only’: attitudinal-based stigma (d=0.23*; d=0.25*), knowledge based stigma (d=0.54*; d=0.59*), mental health literacy (d=0.05; d=0.13*) emotional well-being (d=0.16*; d=0.14*) and resilience (d=0.07; d=0.22*). No change in ‘helpseeking’. |
| Kuyken et al.38
(59%) |
Non-randomised controlled feasibility study. MiSP intervention group (n=256) × control (n=266). |
|
Baseline; postintervention (9 weeks); 3-month follow-up. | Lower depression scores postintervention (d=−0.29*). Improvement on all measures at 3-month follow-up (WEMWBS: d=0.15*; PSS: d=−0.09*; CES-D: d=−0.24*). Mindfulness practice significantly associated with greater gains across all measures (unable to calculate E.S.). |
| Rice et al
39
(50%) |
Non-randomised longitudinal design with three intervention conditions. TRY intervention group (n=50) × CBT group (n=53) × MBCT group (n=54) × PHSE controls (n=99). |
|
Baseline; 9-week follow-up. | Statistical sig. changes in reward seeking in TRY group (d=0.12*); no change after CBT or MBCT. No statistically significant decrease in SMFQ across groups compared with PHSE controls. When comparing treatment groups only, TRY showed statistical reduction in SMFQ when compared with MBCT and CBT (d=−0.8*); reward-seeking moderated reductions in SMFQ scores (d=1.62*). |
| Naylor et al 40 (56.3%) | Non-randomised pre-post control group study. MH intervention group (n=175) × control group (n=242).† |
|
Baseline (1 week before intervention); 6 months postintervention. | Improvement in MHQ with regards to awareness of depression causes (d=0.21*) and bullying (d=0.31*). Changes in specific SDQ subscales: ‘conduct’ (d=0.22*) and ‘prosocial’ (d=0.11*) but not on total difficulties. |
| Stallard et al (2013) (81.3%) |
Cluster randomised controlled trial, randomised by computer. RAP-UK intervention group (n=1753) × attention controls (n=1673) × PHSE controls (n=1604).† |
|
Screening – SMFQ only; baseline; 6-month follow-up; 12-month follow-up. | No significant effect on SMFQ at 12-months follow-up. Some effect of intervention on bullying status at 12 months, and cannabis use at 6-month and 12-month follow-up. Intervention less useful than usual PHSE or attention controls for panic; less useful than usual PHSE on CATS ‘personal failure’ and general anxiety. Signs of benefits and harm of intervention found, all reported to be small effect sizes (data unavailable to calculate effect size). |
*Significant at p<0.5 level.
†Study sufficiently powered to detect change.
‡Power calculation provided but proportion lost to follow-up (>15%) reduced sample required for adequate power.
CATS, Children’s Automatic Thoughts Scale; CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy; CDI, Children’s Depression Inventory; CES-D, Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; CGT, Cambridge Gambling Task; DASC, Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale for Children; E.S., effect size; MAKS, Mental Health Knowledge Schedule; MBCT, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy; MSLSS, Multidimensional Students Life Satisfactions Scale; PHSE, Personal Health and Social Education; PNASC, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children; PSS, Perceived Stress Scale; RCADS, Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale; RCMAS, Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale; RIBS, Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale; RSES, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale; SCEPT, Sentence Completion for Events in the Past Test; SDQ, Strength and Difficulties Questionnaires; SLSS, Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale; SMFQ, Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire; UKRP, UK Resilience Programme; WEMWBS, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale.