University student mental health and wellbeing is a concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loneliness and social isolation are drivers of student mental health problems, amenable to intervention. "Connecting People" was developed and piloted in health and social care services to support people to enhance their social connections.…

Social media plays a significant role in adolescents' lives, with both positive and negative effects. Implementing interventions to mitigate the negative aspects and enhance the positive ones could improve adolescents' well-being. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of evidence-based interventions available. To fill this gap, we have developed a…

Background: Mental disorders most likely manifest during adolescence, providing opportunities for schools and professionals to implement standardized mental health literacy (MHL) interventions to support improvement of mental health outcomes. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an MHL intervention (the Guide) on knowledge, stigma,…

Introduction: Autistic people with co-occurring intellectual disability have a high risk of mental disorders. This study aimed to investigate specialized mental health services for this group, emphasizing inpatient/outpatient treatment, patient characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. Methods: The current study used data from a Norwegian…

Mental health difficulties often start in childhood and the number of young people experiencing mental health difficulties is rising, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. School-based programmes have been identified as an effective way to provide support for young people and present an opportunity to offer universal programmes, which can…

This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of Healthy Minds, Healthy Schools (HMHS), a universal school cognitive-behavioral therapy program aimed at improving anxiety and emotion regulation. Using a quasi-experimental design with open assignment to groups, elementary students were assigned to either the intervention (n = 186) or comparison…

Background: Children within historically disadvantaged non-Western South African communities are considered as particularly vulnerable to the development of anxiety problems. Although the need for accessible mental health interventions is evident, this need has remained unmet in a country with extreme socio-economic disparities and a lack of…

This study used administrative data to compare the socio-demographics, health conditions, and health service use of autistic adults with adults with and without other developmental disabilities, after matching for age and sex. Autistic women and men were more likely to have a wide range of physical and mental health conditions compared to adults…

A psychoeducation program that was originally developed by the Dutch Association for Autism was adjusted for older adults to enhance its feasibility and efficacy in later life. In this study, we explored the effects of this adapted psychoeducation program for older autistic adults in a pre-test -- post-test 6-month follow-up design. A total of 61…

Background: Adolescent loneliness and poor mental health represent dual public health concerns. Yet, associations between loneliness and mental health, and critically, how these associations vary in school settings are less understood. Aims: Framed by social-ecological theory, we aimed to identify key predictors of adolescent mental health and…

Students in higher education face a multitude of life changes and challenges. In order to promote their mental health, the use of canine-assisted interventions (CAI) has gained increasing attention, yet one area that remains insufficiently studied is the influencing characteristics that may lead to the positive effects of CAIs. This study is a…

Objective: To determine the impact of four classroom-based sessions on mindfulness and symptoms of psychological distress among first-year students. A secondary objective was to explore participants' involvement experiences. Participants: First-year undergraduate students at a Canadian university were recruited. Methods: A mixed-methods…

Many refugee children experience trauma in early childhood. Effective, tailored interventions are needed to improve refugee children's access to preventive mental health. We interviewed refugee-serving stakeholders and parents participating in an evidence-based preventive mental health and wellness intervention adapted for Afghan refugee children…

Pressure on upper-secondary students to perform well is increasing at the same time as mental health problems are growing. At best, schools should be an arena for both academic work and the acquisition of life skills. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of a positive psychology intervention, named Study with Strength, on self-reported…

The results of the empirical stage statistically proved that phototherapy is one of the effective tools of psycho-pedagogical assistance to adolescents who experience difficulties associated with emotional identification. We diagnosed the level of formation of this phenomenon within the sample of 240 respondents who are university and school…