Intent to sustain use of a mental health innovation by school providers: What matters most?

Abstract

Despite innovations being routinely introduced in schools to support the mental health of students, few are successfully maintained over time. This study explores the role of innovation characteristics, individual attitudes and skills, and organizational factors in school providers' decisions to continue use of Centervention, a technology-based tool that supports implementation of evidence-based mental health interventions (EBIs). Data were collected from 44 providers through online surveys following use of Centervention over a one-year period. When considered with individual and organizational factors, experience with Centervention (usability, usefulness, and satisfaction) was found to be the most influential predictor of intent to sustain use. Results reinforce the importance of (1) differentiating between factors that predict initial adoption vs. those that enable sustainability and (2) tailoring sustainability decision models to the nature of the innovation. They also support the need to incorporate strategies to enhance provider experience during implementation of an innovation.