Designing and Evaluating a Classroom-Based Mental Health Programme for Adolescents.

NCT07660874 | Active Not Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: QUB_SREC_166_2324CDA210005
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This study is a mixed-methods feasibility trial designed to examine whether a universal classroom-based psychoeducational programme which covers unusual sensory experiences, psychosis, mental health stigma, and coping strategies can be delivered in secondary schools in Northern Ireland. The study aims to determine whether the programme is feasible to deliver, whether students find it acceptable, and whether it is possible to collect questionnaire and reflection data at multiple time points. Students will attend four classroom sessions delivered by the researcher as part of timetabled enrichment lessons. They will complete questionnaires before the programme, after it ends, and one month later. Brief reflections will also be completed after each session. A small number of students may take part in an interview to explore their experiences of the programme. As a feasibility study, this trial does not assess intervention effectiveness but will inform the design of a future full-scale trial.

Conditions

Mental Health Promotion

Keywords

Psychosis; unusual sensory experiences; psychotic-like experiences; psychotic experiences; adolescent mental health; school based intervention; psychoeducation; mental health literacy; early intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Recruitment Feasibility

  Number of students recruited and percentage of the planned recruitment target achieved, overall and by school/arm.

  Up to 3 months from recruitment opening.

• Data Collection Feasibility

  Proportion of enrolled students completing planned questionnaire measures at T1, T2, and T3.

  At baseline, immediately after the final intervention session, and 1 month after the final intervention session.

• Intervention Attendance / Exposure

  Number and proportion of recruited students attending each intervention session, and number/proportion attending one or more sessions, two or more sessions, three or more sessions, and all four sessions.

  At each intervention session and at completion of the 4-session intervention.

• Fidelity to Session Structure

  Proportion of planned session components delivered, assessed using researcher-completed session checklists.

  Immediately after each intervention session.

• Student-Reported Acceptability Ratings After Each Session

  Ratings of acceptability, relevance, and engagement collected through brief session reflections and questionnaires, summarised descriptively.

  Up to 1 week after each session.

• Qualitative themes relating to intervention acceptability

  Themes identified through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with students, examining perceived acceptability, relevance, engagement, barriers and facilitators to participation, and suggestions for programme refinement.

  Within 8 weeks of the final intervention session.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Exploratory indicators of potential effectiveness

  At baseline, immediately after the final intervention session, and 1 month after the final intervention session.

Study Arms (2)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Universal classroom-based psychoeducational programme delivered in four sessions within the school timetable.

Behavioral: School-Based Mental Health Programme

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Teaching-as-usual during data collection; students offered the intervention afterwards (waitlist).

Interventions

School-Based Mental Health Programme BEHAVIORAL

Four structured classroom sessions delivered by the researcher covering mental health literacy, unusual sensory experiences, psychosis awareness, stigma, and coping strategies. Sessions involve multimedia materials, discussion, and group activities.

Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Students aged 16-18 years enrolled in participating secondary schools in Northern Ireland.
• Able to provide informed consent in accordance with the approved ethics protocol.

You may not qualify if:

• Students who decline consent or whose parent/carer opts them out, where applicable.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Queen's University, Belfast: lead
• Health Research Board, Ireland: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Post Primary Schools x2

Antrim, United Kingdom

Location

Post Primary Schools x 2

Newtownabbey, United Kingdom

Location

Related Links

• This protocol forms part of Psychosis Ireland Structured Training and Research Programme (PSI-STAR), an all-Ireland, cross-disciplinary doctoral training programme in psychosis research, involving a network of experts and people with lived experience.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychotic Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Gavin Davidson

  Queen's University Belfast, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Ciaran Shannon

  Northern Health & Social Care Trust

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Ciaran Mulholland

  Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Social Care

Model Details: Non-randomised, parallel-group feasibility and acceptability study comparing a universal school-based psychoeducational intervention with teaching-as-usual control.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 3, 2026
• First Posted: June 22, 2026
• Study Start: October 6, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2026
• Study Completion: July 1, 2026
• Last Updated: June 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (2)