Applying School as a Protective Factor in the Icelandic Prevention Model.

Abstract

Background: While research has demonstrated the importance of K-12 environments for adolescent well-being, there have been numerous challenges to measuring and addressing this social environment. The School as a Protective Factor (SPF)-Framework and Brief instrument were established to meet this gap. This study investigates SPF in an academic-community partnership with a small, rural public school district.

Methods: A school-based survey of middle and high school students was implemented to track key risk and protective factors (including SPF) and a variety of health outcomes, including depression and suicidal ideation, from 2022 to 2025. SPF data were shared annually with school employees to focus on practical ways to improve the school environment.

Results: Analyses show SPF was significantly associated with depression and suicidal ideation. Over 3 years, depression rates at the population level decreased from 66% to 24%.

Implications for school health policy, practice, and equity: Findings support (1) the use of SPF-Framework and Brief instrument as meaningful tools in school-based efforts to address youth mental health, and (2) the utility of academic-school partnerships to support robust data collection, analysis, and translation into meaningful action.

Conclusions: Schools, researchers, and other partners may benefit from the SPF tools to create a shared understanding, provide clear direction for action, and act as a means of tracking and measuring progress over time.