Feasibility pilot study of refinement of the Learning Together intervention to promote better mental health and wellbeing amongst young people (Learning Together for Mental Health)

Refinement and feasibility study of the Learning Together to promote mental health and wellbeing in English secondary schools

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN15301591

Enrollment

760

Registered

2022-07-20

Start date

2022-04-20

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-01-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Mental health and well-being among children in English secondary schools Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Interventions

The present study will be a refinement of the LT trial, that had been previously implemented, and the feasibility of the study will be tested in four secondary schools. In more detail, the LT-MH inter

i.e. before intervention) and at follow-up (June-July 2023). There is no additional follow-up.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Students in years 7-11 (age 11-16 years) in southern/central England

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Any students younger than 11 or older than 16 years 2. Schools in any other regions than southern/central England

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Feasibility and acceptability will be assessed by data collected from the process evaluation (interviews, focus groups, Action Group minutes) across the 1 school year of the intervention, collated at the end of the study (1 year). Lack of feasibility or acceptability will be defined by meeting any one of the following criteria: 1. Intervention feasibility: 1.1. Three or more schools had a response rate lower than 60% in the baseline (needs) survey 1.2. Three or more schools did not have at least three meetings of action groups regardless of quoracy 1.3. Three or more schools had fewer than two staff complete the in-depth training 1.4. Three or more schools completed no locally decided actions 1.5. Three or more schools had fewer than two staff trained in-depth in restorative practice regularly implementing restorative practice 1.6. Three or more schools implemented the curriculum with lower than 50% fidelity 1.7. Three or more schools did not choose any actions from a menu of evidence-based options 2. Intervention acceptability 2.1. Three or more schools had less than half of senior leadership and action group members finding the intervention acceptable 3. Trial feasibility: 3.1. Three or more schools achieved a response rate of less than 60% at follow-up	—

Measure

Time frame

Feasibility and acceptability will be assessed by data collected from the process evaluation (interviews, focus groups, Action Group minutes) across the 1 school year of the intervention, collated at the end of the study (1 year). Lack of feasibility or acceptability will be defined by meeting any one of the following criteria: 1. Intervention feasibility: 1.1. Three or more schools had a response rate lower than 60% in the baseline (needs) survey 1.2. Three or more schools did not have at least three meetings of action groups regardless of quoracy 1.3. Three or more schools had fewer than two staff complete the in-depth training 1.4. Three or more schools completed no locally decided actions 1.5. Three or more schools had fewer than two staff trained in-depth in restorative practice regularly implementing restorative practice 1.6. Three or more schools implemented the curriculum with lower than 50% fidelity 1.7. Three or more schools did not choose any actions from a menu of evidence-based options 2. Intervention acceptability 2.1. Three or more schools had less than half of senior leadership and action group members finding the intervention acceptable 3. Trial feasibility: 3.1. Three or more schools achieved a response rate of less than 60% at follow-up

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Secondary outcome measures will include: 1. Indicative primary outcome for a future full trial: Mental health problems will be measured using the total difficulties score of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at baseline and at 1 year. Indicative secondary outcomes will include: 1. Subscales of the SDQ including emotional difficulties, conduct problems, peer problems hyperactivity and prosocial score, each measured at baseline and 1 year 2. Wellbeing, measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) at baseline and 1 year 3. Depressive symptoms, measured using the Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) at baseline and 1 year 4. Anxiety, measured using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD7) scale, at baseline and 1 year 5. Eating behaviour including disordered eating and body image, measured using the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), at baseline and 1 year 6. Self-harm assessed using one question derived from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study at baseline and 1 year 7. Bullying (victimization) measured using the Gatehouse Bullying Scale, measured at baseline and 1 year 8. Cyberbullying, assessed using two items adapted from the DAPHNE II questionnaire asking whether the participant was bullied (victim) and/or bullied someone else (perpetrator) through mobile phone use or the internet, at baseline and 1 year 9. Substance use assessed using questions on habitual smoking, drinking and drug use, as used in the original Learning Together Trial, at baseline and 1 year 10. Student report of school climate, assessed using the Beyond Blue school climate scale, at baseline and 1 year 11. Outcomes for the economic analysis will include the following: 11.1. Health-related quality of life assessed using the Child Health Utility (CHU) 9D at baseline and 1 year 11.2. Health service use focusing on mental health service use assessed using the CASUS questionnaire at baseline and 1 year 11.3. D	—

Measure

Time frame

Secondary outcome measures will include: 1. Indicative primary outcome for a future full trial: Mental health problems will be measured using the total difficulties score of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at baseline and at 1 year. Indicative secondary outcomes will include: 1. Subscales of the SDQ including emotional difficulties, conduct problems, peer problems hyperactivity and prosocial score, each measured at baseline and 1 year 2. Wellbeing, measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) at baseline and 1 year 3. Depressive symptoms, measured using the Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) at baseline and 1 year 4. Anxiety, measured using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD7) scale, at baseline and 1 year 5. Eating behaviour including disordered eating and body image, measured using the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), at baseline and 1 year 6. Self-harm assessed using one question derived from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study at baseline and 1 year 7. Bullying (victimization) measured using the Gatehouse Bullying Scale, measured at baseline and 1 year 8. Cyberbullying, assessed using two items adapted from the DAPHNE II questionnaire asking whether the participant was bullied (victim) and/or bullied someone else (perpetrator) through mobile phone use or the internet, at baseline and 1 year 9. Substance use assessed using questions on habitual smoking, drinking and drug use, as used in the original Learning Together Trial, at baseline and 1 year 10. Student report of school climate, assessed using the Beyond Blue school climate scale, at baseline and 1 year 11. Outcomes for the economic analysis will include the following: 11.1. Health-related quality of life assessed using the Child Health Utility (CHU) 9D at baseline and 1 year 11.2. Health service use focusing on mental health service use assessed using the CASUS questionnaire at baseline and 1 year 11.3. D

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Countries

England, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 6, 2026