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Working with students and teachers to evaluate secondary school stress workshops

Working with students and teachers to evaluate secondary school stress workshops

Roundtable discussions
Working with students and teachers to evaluate secondary school stress workshops
Dr June Brown is Reader/Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and the lead for Brief Educational workshops in Secondary Schools Trial (BESST). In this blog she describes how a small pilot with schools in South London has now led to a national clinical trial funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) with 900 students across 57 schools.
Dr June Brown

Dr June Brown

Reader/Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London

I have always had a longstanding interest is how we reach people who do not or can not access services for depression and anxiety, especially as evidence suggests only about 30% of people with mental health problems actually receive help and 70% never get the support they need.

To try and rectify this number at a grass roots level I started running workshops for adults in Southwark, in everyday settings such as leisure or community centres. These workshops covered stress, depression/self-confidence, insomnia, and anger. They aimed to be effective as well accessible to the general public who would normally not access help from clinical services.

Key to their accessibility was the use of a self-referral system, so those who felt they needed this help could simply come along to the workshop. We found this approach attracted large numbers of minoritised groups and also those who had not previously sought help from their GPs.

From small beginnings to a national clinical trial

Dr Irene Sclare, a clinical psychologist at South London and Maudsley who works with adolescents, shared my thinking about this need for accessible interventions, especially for young people who encounter significant barriers to help from the NHS because of long waiting lists, inconvenient appointment times and locations (often during school hours and in clinics), and the prioritisation of care for those with very severe problems.

Irene started developing stress workshops for adolescents and, in 2014, we first ran a very small pilot study of the workshops (known as DISCOVER) in schools in South London. We subsequently ran a slightly larger study in 2019 which showed the DISCOVER workshops were accessible and likely to be effective. However, a larger study was needed to rigorously investigate the effectiveness of the workshops.

In July 2019 we received a grant from the NIHR Heath Technology Assessment (HTA) for just under £1.7m to run this clinical trial which covers four regions of England: London, Midlands, Southwest, and Northwest. Our target was to recruit 900 students in 60 schools across these 4 regions – half of which would receive the workshop.

BESST – the trial

When we started the trial in January 2020, we had to pause for a year as lockdown was put in place on 26th March 2020, a week after our trial manager began work! A year later we re-started the trial and recruited our research workers in anticipation of a start in September 2021, despite various scares about schools not letting us in (and maybe even having to change to an online intervention!)

Once we re-started the trial in April 2021 and decided that we would stick to face-to-face workshops, we recruited 19 schools and 6 services to deliver the workshops. We did succeed in recruiting 379 students in September 2021 and then had to work extremely hard the following year to make up the difference. In year 2, we recruited 11 services and 38 schools, enrolling 521 students into the trial.

Now we have reached our target of 900 students across 57 schools and are getting over 90 per cent follow-up rates, which we’re very happy about. A really interesting (and important) finding is that just under half of the students are from diverse backgrounds and that 80 per cent have not previously received help. This demonstrates the key element of accessibility that we hoped to build into these workshops and the research.

What has led to this success? So many things …

The workshop delivery teams have been very enthusiastic about getting trained in our approach. The school staff have also been really keen for the workshops to be offered to their students.

We think we have reached so many students because they believed that they needed the workshops even though they knew there was a 50 per cent chance they wouldn’t receive them. As in those first workshops I ran in Southwark in 2004 I think the self-referral system has really helped in reaching so many students. It has allowed them to feel an element of control about enrolling where they did have the choice, and weren’t required to go through a formalised diagnostic process.

“I think that the study was really helpful when it comes to stress and depression in students….they taught us really useful ways to help deal with that kind of stuff, especially stress about relationships and exams… I think that the best way BESST could help more students is by doing this workshop in more schools, all schools if possible. By offering this experience to everyone would bring more of an awareness to how to deal with mental health problems such as depression and stress.”
Aiden

BESST participant

Alongside this, the collaboration in our team has been brilliant. The BESST trial management team has helped to work through the challenges of the pandemic as well as running this exciting trial. The research workers have also been a fantastic group who have worked really hard to make the trial a success. And last but not least, our trial manager, Steve Lisk, has been superb, empathetically leading the research workers and calmly handling the difficulties that have arisen so we could reach our targets.

The future

We are expecting the results of the trial to be analysed in 2 months’ time, so we are very excited – and a bit anxious – about what we will find!

Whatever the outcome we are extremely grateful for everyone who took part in the research: the delivery teams, the school staff and of course the students. Their commitment to the process and the workshops has been essential to conducting an authentic evaluation across so many schools.

We are now impatiently waiting for the results. If they show the workshops are effective, we could be rolling them out across the whole of the UK which would mean many more students will benefit from this one trial!

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Meet our volunteers: Madihah’s Story

Meet our volunteers: Madihah’s Story

Roundtable discussions

Meet our volunteers: Madihah’s Story

Each year at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, around 400 volunteers support services across the Trust. The CAMHS Mentoring Project matches young volunteers on a one-to-one basis with young person currently using one of our services. The pair meet regularly to access community activities together and build a relationship. Volunteer mentors are someone the service user can have fun with, try new things with, and talk to for informal support. 

Madihah, currently a volunteer, shares her experience of the project and how she believes the programme can support young people with their mental health.

Madihah

Madihah

CAMHS Mentoring Volunteer

Volunteering in the CAMHS Mentoring Programme has been an amazing learning experience, where I could build on and practise important skills like self-reflection, setting boundaries, and being a supportive role model to a young person. I came across the programme while completing my Psychology degree and was eager to join as I was looking to gain experience in supporting young people with their mental health. As I am aiming to complete a doctorate in Clinical Psychology in the future, this programme has been invaluable in building my knowledge of the mental health sector.

Working with young people has been something I’m passionate about, especially as I am currently working in a secondary school as a teaching assistant and learning mentor, supporting Special Educational Needs (SEN) students and providing pastoral care to all students. I’ve been able to transfer my skills from my professional life and provide my mentee with the best resources to improve her confidence and gain access to further education. Not only that, but this programme has also allowed us to create a friendship where my mentee could feel comfortable to talk and be open about her struggles. We were able to build our connection through shared interests like visiting museums and talking about our favourite tv shows. This opened up the door to conversations involving deeper topics and any worries my mentee had, which we discussed.

Over the past eight months, mentoring has allowed professional growth for me and self-growth for the both of us. It is something that I feel anyone can benefit and learn from, while also being able to witness the rewards of providing essential care and support to a vulnerable young person. I could not recommend it enough!

You can find out more information on how to join the CAMHS Mentoring Project and other volunteering schemes the South London and Maudsley Trust has to offer: https://slam.nhs.uk/camhs-mentoring-project.

 

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Meet our volunteers: Joanna’s Story

Meet our volunteers: Joanna’s Story

Roundtable discussions

Meet our volunteers: Joanna’s Story

Each year, the South London and Mausley NHS Foundation Trust are supported by around 400 volunteers across their services. The CAMHS Mentoring Project matches volunteers on a one-to-one basis with a child or young person currently using one of our services. The pair meet regularly to access community activities together and build a relationship. Volunteer mentors are someone the service user can have fun with, try new things with, and talk to for informal pastoral support.

Joanna, currently a volunteer, shares her experience of the project and how she believes the programme can support young people with their mental health.

Joanna

Joanna

CAMHS Volunteer Mentor

How long have you been volunteering and what interested you in the project?

I have been volunteering for over a year. I wanted to volunteer as a way for me to help young people who are embarking a difficult time in their life. I had learnt some theory during my degree and wanted to put these into practice during my time volunteering.

I found the initial training super useful and beneficial- it was in a comfortable environment where I was happy to openly talk and discuss my thoughts and feelings.

What have you learnt from the project? 

I am a student, and I felt taking part in this programme was a way for me to put my skills and knowledge into practice. I gained greater skills when it comes to working with service users, such as how to formulate sessions and goals. I gained confidence as well as learning new theory and skills to use when working with the young person.

What type of activities did you do with your mentee? How do you think they benefited from the experience?

I built a good relationship by ensuring I was listening empathetically, not pressuring the young person to talk if they don’t work, and ensuring each session is service-user led to make sure they feel comfortable and safe.

We talk about feelings. I use a colour emotion wheel to help the young person identify and discuss their feelings more easy. We focused on different goals and areas the young person wanted to work on. In my case it was confidence, self-esteem and independence.

Why should people take part in the mentoring programme?

I think it finds a way to get you own your comfort zone- to challenge yourself by focusing on how you can help someone else achieve their goals. It also helps learn new skills such as how to listen emphatically, build a rapport, working as part of a care team, and using your initiative when things get tough.

You can find out more information on how to join the CAMHS Mentoring Project and other volunteering schemes the South London and Maudsley Trust has to offer: https://slam.nhs.uk/camhs-mentoring-project.

 

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Meet our volunteers: Irfan’s Story

Meet our volunteers: Irfan’s Story

Roundtable discussions

Meet our volunteers: Irfan’s Story

South London and Maudsley’s CAMHS Mentoring Project is an incredible opportunity to make a huge impact in the life of a young person. Volunteers are matched on a one-to-one basis with a young person currently using Trust services and are able to have fun, talk and try new things with them – but more than that, they become an important part of their lives. Their presence provides much needed pastoral support as the young person discovers new skills and activities in the community. It’s an inspiring chance to be connected with someone, and to help them build confidence and resilience in themselves.

Irfan, currently a volunteer, shares his experience of the project and how he believes the programme can support young people with their mental health.

Irfan

Irfan

CAMHS Mentoring Volunteer

The mentoring program has been an exciting journey for me. It has exposed me to different kinds of challenges and opportunities for me to learn and develop myself personally and professionally.

There are so many transferable skills that I have gained and being able to work with my mentee with ADHD has allowed me to build upon these skills, whilst continuing to give my best in supporting my mentee in navigating the challenges they face.

Because of the unique position we have as mentors, our relationship with our mentees are quite flexible. In achieving the goals and objectives set out at the start of the mentoring journey, it allows us to use personalised approached in navigating our relationship by drawing upon our personal experience and knowledge, allowing us to communicate with our mentee on a more personal level. They could learn from our experiences and make the appropriate decisions from there. That in itself is life-changing as we get to empower and equip them with the right information for them to take the next steps. And because we get to explore other fun activities like playing games, we get to have fun too! My mentee has a PS3 and Switch, and we would occasionally play them together.

My mentoring journey has been an exciting one, I learnt so much from it, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique experience to gain more skills and experience in this area.

You can find out more information on how to join the CAMHS Mentoring Project and other volunteering schemes the South London and Maudsley Trust has to offer: https://slam.nhs.uk/camhs-mentoring-project.

 

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Meet our volunteers: Beimnet’s Story

Meet our volunteers: Beimnet’s Story

Roundtable discussions

Meet our volunteers: Beimnet’s Story

The CAMHS Mentoring Project matches volunteers on a one-to-one basis with a child or young person currently using one of our services. The pair meet regularly to access community activities together and build a relationship. Volunteer mentors are someone the service user can have fun with, try new things with, and talk to for informal pastoral support. 

Beimnet, currently a volunteer, shares their experience of the project and how they believe the programme can support young people with their mental health.

Beimnet

Beimnet

CAMHS Volunteer Mentor

How long have you been a volunteer for the project?

I have been volunteering for almost 2 years now. I came across the program towards the end of my last year at uni as I wanted to help people struggling with their mental health and as my first experience working within the field I can say I’m glad I became a mentor and I would recommend it to anyone looking to support young people.

What have you learnt from the project? 

As a mentor I have been able to build therapeutic relationships, develop my communication skills and learn from supervision – all skills that have allowed me to constantly improve delivery of sessions and my general approach in supporting mentees making progress toward their goals. Additionally, I have been able to use these skills in my work as a support worker and I will continue to do so throughout my career.

What type of activities did you do with your mentee? How do you think they benefited from the experience?

Above all, I have especially enjoyed taking part in activities with mentees. In my experience I have been able to use sports that mentees enjoy, to build rapport. Not only do I enjoy sport too, but it also allows for trust to be built and as a tool to create goals mentees can work toward in a way they find interesting, which I have also found to be key to engaging mentees.

Using this approach, alongside being empathetic and non-judgemental, will allow mentees to be themselves and enjoy improving their wellbeing. Therefore, I would recommend to anyone who wants to help young people and values these qualities to become a mentor.

You can find out more information on how to join the CAMHS Mentoring Project and other volunteering schemes the South London and Maudsley Trust has to offer: https://slam.nhs.uk/camhs-mentoring-project.

 

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For the latest updates and news, follow us on our social channels.