Assessing the effectiveness of teen Mental Health First Aid training on year 9 students in Maltese state secondary schools

Abstract

Teen Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) was developed in 2012 in Australia (Wilcox et al., 2023) and is a school-based universal mental health intervention aiming to increase student supportive behaviours towards peers, mental health literacy and beliefs about help (Hart, et al, 2018). In Malta, a three-year project was initiated by the Mental Health Commissioner, Richmond Foundation (n.d.), and the Ministry for Education, Sports, Youth, Research, and Innovation (MEYR) to train all Year 9 (Y9) students in Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) during the scholastic years 2022 to 2025. In the second scholastic year of implementation (2023-2024), training was given to 2450 Y9 students (13-14-year-olds). This paper presents the results of baseline and post-training surveys completed by 352 and 335 students in four state schools in Malta during the scholastic year 2023-2024. Data collection for the baseline survey took place two weeks prior to the training, whilst the post-training survey was processed up to one month following training completion. Results indicate that tMHFA has a significant and positive impact on students, notably improving their mental health literacy. The training showed promising results in improved knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in peer support, suggesting potential implications for policy and practice. The data also highlight the need for educational initiatives to reduce stigma and enhance comprehensive mental health literacy.