Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA): A Change Initiative in an Underresourced School.

Abstract

Background: School-aged children with unidentified mental illnesses experience poor health outcomes; managing this issue requires a collaborative community approach. Objectives: The objective was to implement an evidence-based mental health education and sustainment program within an underresourced school setting for staff and parents/guardians supervising children to optimize adult mental health literacy (MHL). Methods: The intervention included Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training; measurements of pre- and post-MHL were completed with the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS). Sustainment was achieved by developing a school-centered mental health toolkit and integrating a school champion. Results: There was a significant MHL score change from pretest to posttest. The toolkit bolstered sustainability by increasing the utilization of community resources. Conclusions: This mental health awareness initiative proved effective and can be expanded across similar underresourced schools to fill voids.