A School-based Intervention Project to Increase Completion of Upper Secondary School in Norway
- Conditions
- Drop OutAbsenceMental HealthAcademic Achievement/Average Grade
- Interventions
- Other: Dream School ProgramOther: Mental Health Support Team
- Registration Number
- NCT03382080
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Bergen
- Brief Summary
Drop out from upper secondary school represents a risk for the future health and wellbeing of young people. Strengthening of psychosocial aspects of the learning environment may be an effective strategy to promote completion of upper secondary school. The COMPLETE study is a school based cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating two school-based interventions, namely the Dream School Program (DSP) and the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) among 1st grade upper secondary school students in four counties in Norway. The interventions aim to improve psychosocial learning environments and subsequently school achievements and decrease drop-out and absence.
Specifically, the COMPLETE study will
1. Evaluate whether the DSP alone
1. increases completion
2. increases presence
3. improves school achievements
4. improves mental health and wellbeing
2. Evaluate whether the DSP and the MHST combined
1. increase completion
2. increase presence
3. improve school achievements
4. improve mental health and wellbeing
The COMPLETE study will also evaluate the effect of the DSP and MHST combined and the DSP alone against secondary outcomes of school satisfaction and loneliness.
3. Evaluate through a process evaluation whether the interventions were implemented in line with guidelines for each of the interventions, and whether the degree of program fidelity has influenced the effect of the interventions on the primary and secondary outcomes.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 3500
- School inclusion criteria: not been or currently involved in either of the Dream School Program or the Mental Health Support Team or similar programs or research projects
- Student inclusion criteria: student enrolled at any of the included schools.
- Schools previously or currently involved in either of the Dream School Program or the Mental Health Support Team or similar programs or research projects.
- Student exclusion criteria: students with special needs or who are illiterate in Norwegian are excluded from the survey assessment, but included in the interventions.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Dream School Program (DSP) Dream School Program The Dream School Program is a whole school program, involving staff and students, with the aim of creating learning environments where students are confident and experience a sense of belonging, and where mental health is promoted. DSP and Mental Health Support Team Dream School Program A combination of the universal Dream Schoop Program (see description above) and the selective/indicative intervention Mental Health Support Team which is aimed at specific students at risk of dropping out of upper secondary school. It is a systematization of the student services through 1. Co-location of services and staff working in services 2. "One open door" to increase accessibility to the services and staff for students 3. Focus on the transition from lower to upper secondary school 4. Close follow-up of students at risk to ensure tailored help to each student 5. Early intervention and follow up when students starts being absent from school DSP and Mental Health Support Team Mental Health Support Team A combination of the universal Dream Schoop Program (see description above) and the selective/indicative intervention Mental Health Support Team which is aimed at specific students at risk of dropping out of upper secondary school. It is a systematization of the student services through 1. Co-location of services and staff working in services 2. "One open door" to increase accessibility to the services and staff for students 3. Focus on the transition from lower to upper secondary school 4. Close follow-up of students at risk to ensure tailored help to each student 5. Early intervention and follow up when students starts being absent from school
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Drop-out Each participant is assessed after 58 months If the student has not complete upper secondary school within five years or if the student quit school and is without any regular activity during the course of the study period, i.e. grade 1-3 of upper secondary school
Absence Each participant is assessed after 34 months Total days and hours absent at closure of third school year in upper secondary school
Change from baseline Mental Wellbeing at 18 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), on a 5 point Likert scale from None of the time to All of the time, with higher values indicating a better outcome
Academic achievement Each participant is assessed after 34 months Average grade at closure of third school year in upper secondary school
Change from baseline Mental Health at 6 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome.
Change in Mental Wellbeing from baseline at 6 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), on a 5 point Likert scale from None of the time to All of the time, with higher values indicating a better outcome
Change from baseline Mental Health at 18 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome.
Change from baseline Mental Health at 30 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months Short form of Symptom Check List (SCL-5), on a 4 point Likert scale ranging from Not bothered to Very bothered, with higher values indicating a worse outcome.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change from baseline School satisfaction at 6 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6, 18 and 30 months Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.
Change from baseline School satisfaction at 18 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.
Change from baseline School satisfaction at 30 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months Three items from the School Satisfaction Scale, a subscale of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale. 5 point Likert scale from Completely disagree to Completely agree, with higher values indicating a better outcome.
Change from baseline Loneliness at 6 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 6 months Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome.
Change from baseline Loneliness at 18 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 18 months Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome.
Change from baseline Loneliness at 30 months Based on self-report in survey assessment at baseline and 30 months Loneliness Scale, 5 point Likert scale from Not at all to To a very high degree with higher values indicating a worse outcome.