Effectiveness of a School Wellbeing Programme for Internalising Problems in Irish Primary School Children

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Anxiety; Low Mood
• Interventions: Behavioral: A Lust for Life Schools Programme

• Registration Number: NCT05061381
• Lead Sponsor: University College Dublin

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a school-based multi-component universal programme for the reduction of internalising problems (i.e. anxiety and low mood) in primary school pupils.

Detailed Description

Childhood and adolescence are important developmental phases for wellbeing and mental health. School has been noted in psychological literature to be a favourable environment for mental health initiatives, such as school-based programmes. Universal programmes are programmes delivered to all pupils irrespective of perceived need and have several advantages, including having a wide reach, avoiding the need for screening and are less stigmatising.

A Lust for Life is a universal school-based multi-component intervention whose target is to build well-being and emotional resilience in children. The programme was informed by evidence-based psychological approaches including cognitive behaviour therapy, positive psychology and mindfulness and consists of six lessons, each delivered by the pupils' school teacher on a weekly basis. The lessons involve classroom discussions, videos, classroom activities and homework assignments.

Study participants will complete the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale Short Format, Coping strategy indicator and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children pre-intervention. Following this, schools randomly assigned to the experimental group will receive A Lust for Life, while those randomly assigned to the control group will be placed on a sixteen-week waiting list. The questionnaire measures and a Brief Satisfaction Scale will be completed by participants at post-intervention. In addition, a six-week follow-up assessment will determine whether the effects of the programme are sustained over a period of time. The programme will be delivered in the waiting list control group schools after the six-week follow-up assessment.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-09-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-09-20
• Study First Posted: 2021-09-29
• Study Start: 2021-10-11
• Status Verified: 2022-07
• Primary Completion: 2022-07-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-11-03
• Last Update Posted: 2022-11-04
• Study Completion: 2022-11-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 400

Inclusion Criteria

• Child
• Enrolled in primary school in Ireland
• Obtain written informed consent from parents/guardians
• Provide written assent

Exclusion Criteria

• Failure to meet inclusion criteria

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
A Lust for Life Schools Programme Group	A Lust for Life Schools Programme	A Lust for Life programme will be delivered to primary school pupils by their school teachers in six weekly lessons. Well-being and resilience will be promoted in each lesson through classroom discussions, videos, classroom activities and homework assignments.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Symptoms of anxiety and low mood measured by the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale Short Form	16 weeks	25-item self-report measure of anxiety and depression symptoms of individuals aged 8-18 years.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Coping skills as measured by the Coping Strategy Indicator	16 weeks	33-item measure that measures three coping factors: seeking social support, problem-solving, and avoidance.
Self-efficacy as measured by the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children	16 weeks	24-item questionnaire that measures three factors: academic, social and emotional self-efficacy.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University College Dublin; 🇮🇪 Dublin, Tipperary, Ireland