Evaluating the Effect of a Psychological Safety Program on Help-Seeking and Well-Being in Primary School Students: A Randomised Controlled Trial

The Let’sTALK Program is a school-based intervention targeting mental health literacy and stigma to improve psychological safety. In other words, the goal is to create a positive environment where students feel safe in talking about their mental health problems with peers and trusted adults and to seek help before these escalate into more serious issues. The Let'sTALK Program was developed and will be delivered in participating Victorian primary schools by the CCC Foundation Australia Inc. The CCC Foundation Australia Inc. has had over 5 years of experience in delivering this program. About the Let'sTALK Program: A group of individuals receive a face-to-face training session at the beginning of the school term on how to use the TALK framework to improve psychological safety in schools. Specifically, a Let’sTALK facilitator guides individuals through the Let’sTALK manual which outlines the application of the framework: • Topic 1 (T): Tell when someone is in distress and engage in a conversation o Introduction – purpose and vision of the Let’sTALK program o Psychological safety – the foundation to wellbeing o Mindfulness – to be aware of oneself, others, and the tell-tale signs of distress o Stigma – to be aware of one’s biases and how it affects open communication o Conversation – how to start a conversation with someone in distress, including oneself • Topic 2 (A): Acknowledge the person and their concerns o Vulnerability – how it is a strength and not a weakness o Trust – the elements of trust that are critical for open communication o Empathy – to step outside one’s experiences to understand others’ o Gratitude – to make difficult conversations easier for both parties o Acknowledge – how a simple statement can validate the other person and build trust • Topic 3 (L): Listen to help externalise the person’s concerns o Listening – why it can be difficult at the best of times o The 3 Fs – how facts, feelings, and fears can get to the bottom of a problem o Emotional intelligence – how it impacts the quality of conversations o Active listening – skills to say less and hear more • Topic 4 (K): Keep in touch to support and empower the person o The three stages of keeping in touch to support someone in distress o Referring the person to source appropriate support (i.e., to resources and referral options appropriate for the Victorian education system) o Classroom and school-wide activities to embed and sustain a culture of having open conversations o Measures to monitor and assess the impact of The Let’sTALK Program on psychological safety and well-being Within each school, up to 30 school staff (Let’sTALK Mentors) are selected to receive an 8-hour training session, and up to 30 students (Let’sTALK Buddies) are selected to receive a 4-hour training session. The content covered in this training session is the same for mentors and buddies. Mentors and buddies are also provided with 1-hour, monthly coaching/mentoring sessions throughout the year by the Let’sTALK facilitator to ensure program fidelity. These sessions are conducted in groups, with mentors and buddies coached/mentored separately. Both the training and coaching/mentoring sessions are conducted at the school. Mentors and buddies 'apply' the intervention (i.e., increase the psychological safety in their school) by making themselves available and approachable by students to discuss any psychological difficulties during school hours. This is facilitated by having mentors and buddies wear a Let'sTALK shirt on top of their clothes/uniform. Students are also made aware of the role of mentors and buddies through a Let'sTALK launch event (i.e., announcement during school assembly) at the beginning of the school year. To assess the effectiveness of the program, a randomised controlled trial design will be used. Ten participating primary schools will be randomly assigned to receive The Let'sTALK Program or be in the wait-list control condition. Participants in both conditions will be observed 5 times between January 30th, 2024, and December 20th, 2024 (11 months).