Mind Power - A CBT Based Program for Adolescents Aimed at Developing Coping Skills
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 1,673
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-Short form, 8 items)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to strengthen school achievement and positive mental health, and to prevent and reduce school dropout and mental distress among high school students. The researchers will scale up techniques that have already been proven highly effective in preventing common mental disorders (depression, anxiety) in high risk groups (indicated and selective prevention). The researchers will disseminate these techniques to entire first year classes of high school students irrespective of risk factors (universal prevention). The study will report whether universal delivery in school of "Mind Power" - a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) based programme - will strengthen school grades, self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-regulation, mental perceptions and well-being, and prevent and reduce school dropout, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. In addition the researchers will analyse whether such universal delivery prevents more mental distress, and is more cost-effective than when it is delivered only to those at high risk for school failure, dropout, or mental distress.
Detailed Description
Mind power (MTE) is a modification of the Coping With Depression (CWD) course (Lewinsohn, Weinstein, & Alper, 1970; Lewinsohn, Antonuccio, Steinmetz, & Teri, 1984). CWD is by far the most studied psycho-educational intervention (Cuijpers, Muños, Clark., & Lewinsohn, 2009). No other study has, however, tested these aims on a version of CWD. MTE is "The Adolescent Coping with Depression Course (ACDC)" (Børve, 2012). In Norwegian: "Depresjonsmesting for ungdom (DU)" and the newest version is "Mestringskurs for ungdom -DU". (The name "ACDC" has been changed to "MTE" in this project to capture the target group).
In Norway, unlike physical health training (e.g. gymnastics), mental skills training (e.g. psychological techniques in CBT) is normally reserved for individuals in treatment or at risk for developing mental disorders. However, especially in Australia and USA, universal mental skills training programmes in schools have shown positive long-term effects (e.g. Harden et al., 2001; Wells, Barlow., & Stewart-Brown, 2003).
The researchers will address how innovative research may contribute to the development of high quality education in Norway, and how to strengthen adolescents' resilience and empowerment in order to meet the challenges in society and work life. If the results in our project are positive, this project may have great impact on policy making in the areas of both education and public mental health.
Background. Why promote mental health and prevent ill-health? Depression costs society more than any other illness (Helsedirektoratet, 2015) and is one of the greatest contributors to burden of disease in Norway (Folkehelseinstituttet, 2016). Twelve per cent of both boys and girls in Norway report that they experience symptoms of depression (NOVA, 2014). Up to 80% of adolescents with mental health problems do not receive any treatment (Essau; 2005; Zachrisson, Rödje & Mykletun, 2006). Individuals (especially boys) in need of help can be reluctant to contact the mental health system because of stigma associated with mental health problems (Gulliver, Griffiths & Christensen, 2010). Universally providing mental health skills in schools to enhancing young people's social and emotional skills may compensate for this.
Dropouts from high School. Approximately 30% of adolescents in Norway do not complete high school. Approximately one third who drop out end up on disability benefit due to mental illness, mainly depression (Øverland, Glozier, Krokstad, & Mykletun, 2007; Sikveland, 2013). Internalizing problems (anxiety and depression) seems to affect dropout significantly (Melkevik et al., 2016). This has severe consequences for later work abilities, socioeconomic status and economic support (disability pensions) (Falch & Nyhus, 2011; Bergslie 2013). Because of the relationship between school motivation, mental health and academic achievements, it may be important to include all adolescents (Masten et al., 2005; Gustavsson et al., 2010).
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Sequential
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 15 Years to 17 Years (Child)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •10 high Schools have implemented Mind Power in their ordinary scheduals. We include all the students in these school classes, all the classes that the school principals have desided can attend in the study. The Principals choose which classes that will attend in the study, due to the amount of teachers who are able to attend in the project, and due the fixed time scheduals in their ordinary school plan. Then we randomize which of these school classes that starts Mind Power first (Group 1) and which starts six months later (Group 2).
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-Short form, 8 items)
Time Frame: 2 minutes
Standardized and validated questionnaire: symptoms of anxiety and depression
Secondary Outcomes
- Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES, short form, 4 items)(1 minute)
- The Norwegian Version of the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale (short form, 5 items)(1 minute)
- The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS, 14 items)(2 minutes)
- Lindsley self-regulation (13 items)(2 minutes)
- Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, 2nd Ed. Short Form (10 items)(1 minute)