Influence of the Insights program (a teacher led emotional health program) in increasing tolerance of uncertainty and resilience in secondary school students.

The aim of the project is to examine the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and a range of factors that contribute to emotional health. An emotional health program (The Insights program) is being run as part of the Year 8 or 9 curriculum (at secondary schools), The schools provide either an intervention group or a control group or both. The 'Insights program' program is psycho-educational and school teachers themselves are trained in the program implementation (5 hour training workshop delivered by Clinical Psychologists). The teachers deliver the program during pastoral care or PDHPE time with students. The program involves 18 single period lessons (between 50 and 70 mins in length (depending on the school structure). It is delivered either weekly or fortnightly (at some schools it has been delivered, 3 times per fortnight). The delivery frequency is dependent on school preferences. The overall objective of the project is to examine the impact of changing intolerance of uncertainty on factors which are associated with emotional health. The program aims to increase the protective factors (through a combination of education and skills training) and to reduce avoidance, ruminative thinking, discomfort with uncertainty, catastrophic thinking, envy and perfectionism in students. The program provides students with the ability to resist and evaluate the pressures that are placed on them. Teacher training is supplemented with additional consultation as requested by each school (depending on school teacher availability). School counsellors support the training and coordination of the program at the schools. A teacher fidelity manual is used to record whether all key points are covered in each lesson. Student absences are noted per lesson in this manual. This information is added using the participant ID codes to the research database. Resources are incorporated within the Insights program - the program covers specific topics including: understanding the role of uncertainty within interpersonal relationships, perfectionism, procrastination, self soothing and self compassion, responses to negative thoughts, body image, social media, exercise, nutrition and sleep. The program incorporates mindfulness and acceptance and covers cognitive behavioural factors required to build resilience, and adolescent physical and emotional health. The program provides students and staff with a framework to understand and discuss pressures experienced by each student.