An intervention that helps students normalise their everyday emotions is the 'most promising' of several approaches for supporting mental health, according to results from one of the world's largest school-based mental health trials in which The University of Manchester was a key partner.
The Education for Wellbeing trial, a partnership of the mental health charity Anna Freud and UCL, involved 32,655 students in 513 English primary and secondary schools, testing five interventions. The DfE-funded study ran from 2018 to 2024 and investigated universal school-based interventions to improve mental health awareness and wellbeing.
The results suggest three interventions show promise for school use when implemented consistently and frequently. Experts stress they should be part of a 'whole-school approach' for maximum impact.
Since the study began in 2018 the number of children and young people seeking mental health help in England has more than doubled, emphasising the need for evidence-based early intervention.
The three interventions were trialled in primary (Years 4 and 5) and secondary schools (Years 7 and 8). The results revealed that Strategies for Safety and Wellbeing (SSW), a mental health awareness intervention, had the most positive outcomes. It helps students normalise everyday emotions like stress and sadness, differentiate them from mental ill health, and know where to find support. In primary schools, SSW significantly improved mental health literacy - specifically help-seeking intention - and, when fully implemented, also in secondary schools.
In primary schools, daily five-minute relaxation techniques sessions presented by teachers significantly reduced emotional difficulties when delivered frequently and consistently, particularly benefitting children from minoritised ethnic groups. However, in secondary schools, more frequent implementation increased emotional difficulties.
Daily five-minute mindfulness-based exercises significantly reduced emotional difficulties when frequently delivered in secondary schools. However, in primary schools, higher implementation increased emotional difficulties. The study suggests this intervention may increase problems for specific primary school groups, including those with special educational needs and prior emotional difficulties.
Anna Freud, a charity which has supported children and young people for over 70 years, developed SSW with sector experts, school staff, and young people using DfE specifications. The charity is rolling out training to support UK school staff in delivering SSW.
"Schools have a critical role to play in the wellbeing of children and young people and, with the right tools, can even help to prevent mental health challenges. However, there has been a real lack of clarity over which school-based mental health interventions work best," said Chief Investigator Professor Jess Deighton. "With results from this landmark study, staff now have much-needed guidance to support them in building the mental health and wellbeing of students."
"The findings of this groundbreaking study come at a time when we need to know, more than ever before, how best to support and promote children and young people's mental health," said Professor Neil Humphrey from The University of Manchester.
The #BeeWell survey, which made this study possible, continues to provide valuable insights into the lives of young people, informing better policies and practices to improve outcomes. The programme is a collaboration between The University of Manchester, The Gregson Family Foundation, and Anna Freud. Visit https://beewellprogramme.org to find out more.
