A Qualitative Study of School Staff Experiences of Implementing Five Universal Mental Health Interventions in England

Abstract Schools are well-placed to implement mental health interventions to large groups of children and young people. This study aimed to explore school staff perceptions of barriers and facilitators to the implementation and potential impact of five universal mental health interventions.Qualitative data collection (primarily semi-structured interviews) with 60 members of school staff (including class teachers, senior leadership team members, and pastoral support leads) was conducted across 20 primary and secondary schools in England in 2019. As part of two randomised controlled trials, schools were randomised to deliver one of five universal, classroom-based mental health interventions: The Guide, Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM), Strategies for Safety and Wellbeing (SSW), Relaxation Techniques, and Mindfulness-Based Exercises. Data analysis drew on a reflexive thematic analysis approach.Facilitators identified by school staff across the five interventions were: seeing the benefits; fit with school context; ease of implementation; consistency and security; and taking responsive action. Barriers or challenges identified across the five interventions were: not always seeing the benefits; varying engagement; differences of opinion, knowledge, and experience; and struggles with time and space.The findings suggest that to enable the impactful implementation of school-based, universal mental health interventions, school staff need to be consulted about what would work best within their individual schools, to ensure that interventions can meet the needs and preferences of different school environments and students.