Evaluation of a School-Based Mental Health Program

The data collection started in 2012 when students in grade 8 answered a questionnaire. The students were followed up after 3 months and after 12 months. Additional data collections are planned when the students are in high school. The study was performed in grade 8 (students aged 13–15 years, median 14 years) in six municipalities in southern Sweden representing rural and urban areas with a total population of 120 000. There were 23 schools with grade 8 students in the included municipalities, and at 14 schools, a mental health program (the DISA program) was offered in the regular school context. At nine schools, the program was offered to girls only; at two schools, it was offered to girls and boys in separate groups; and at three schools, the program was offered in mixed groups. The intervention had been delivered at the intervention schools for 2 years on average, with a range of 1–13 years. Three of the control schools had conducted the intervention before but did not do so during the study period. The reasons for this were staff turnover in two schools and priority of the curricular subject in the third school. Schools without this mental health program in their curriculum were recruited as control schools. At 17 of the schools, all students in grade 8 answered the study questionnaires, but at six schools, only girls participating in the mental health program completed the questionnaires due to school administration reasons, and two schools declined to participate. The gender inequity in the intervention and control groups is thus due to that the mental health program is offered to more girls than boys. The questionnaires were completed by 972 students at baseline. Two data collections were conducted in grade 8, with a response rate of 75%. The questionnaires were completed by 972 students at baseline. At the 12-month follow-up, when students were in grade 9, the response rate was 80%. Further data collection took place during the students' highschool years.