Abstract
Assessed the feasibility of the Australian MindMatters program, a whole school mental health promotion program for application in the United States (U.S.). Forty-two participants representing school and community stakeholder groups from four U.S. communities (urban, rural, suburban, small town) evaluated the program for application in their communities through a research process involving discussion and endorsement ratings of relevance and likely impact. The majority of participants (85%) indicated that the program would help students in their community schools feel safe and valued, and participants indicated strong endorsement for MindMatters curriculum units focusing on suicide prevention and addressing bullying and harassment. Participants rated their own stakeholder group (e.g., teacher, school administrator, and parent) as being most likely to support and implement the program, suggesting that providing qualitative feedback on a program may help to increase a sense of ownership over it. Ideas for tailoring programs developed in other settings for application in local communities are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Armbruster, P., and Lichtman, J. (1999). Are school based mental health services effective? Evidence from 36 inner-city schools. Community Ment. Health J. 35: 493–504.
Diala, C. C., Muntaner, C., Walrath, C., Nickerson, K., LaVeist, T., and Leaf, P. (2002). Racial /ethnic differences in attitudes toward seeking professional mental health services. Am. J. Public Health, 91(5): 805–807.
Evans, S. W. (1999). Mental health services in schools: Utilization, effectiveness, and consent. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 19: 165–178.
Evans, S. W., Axelrod, J. L., and Langberg, J. (2004). Efficacy of a school-based treatment program for middle school youth with ADHD: Pilot data. Behav. Modif. 28: 528–547.
Evans, S. W., Green, A. L., and Serpell, Z. N. (2005). Community participation in the treatment development process using assessment and community development teams. Submitted for publication.
Evans, S. W., Langberg, J., and Williams, J. (2003). Treatment generalization in school based mental health. In Weist, M., Evans, S., and Lever, N. (eds.), Handbook of School Mental Health. Kluwer/Plenum, New York.
Flaherty, L. T., and Weist, M. D. (1999) School-based mental health services: The Baltimore models. Psychology Schools, 36(5): 379–389.
Greenberg, M. T., Domitrovich, C. E., and Bumbarger, B. (2001). The prevention of mental disorders in school-aged children: Current state of the field. Prevention and Treatment, 4, Article 1. Retrieved August 22, 2003, from http://journals.apa.org/ prevention/volume4/pre0040001a.html
Hazell, T., Vincent, K., Waring, T., and Lewin, T. (2002). The challenges of evaluating national mental health promotion programs in schools: A case study using the evaluation of MindMatters. Int. J. Ment. Health Promotion, 4: 21–27.
Horner, R. H., Sugai, G., Todd, A. W., and Lewis-Palmer, T. (2004). School-wide positive behavior support: An alternative approach to discipline in schools. In Bambara, L., and Kern, L. (eds.), Positive Behavioral Support. Guilford Press, New York.
Illback, R. J., Kalafat, J., and Sanders, D. (1997). Evaluating integrated service programs. In Illback, R. J., Cobb, C. T., and Joseph, H. M. (eds.), Integrated Services for Children and Families: Opportunities for Psychological Practice. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, pp. 323–346.
Kerr, M. M. (2003). Preventing and addressing crises and violence related problems in schools. In Weist, M., Evans, S., and Lever, N. (eds.), Handbook of School Mental Health. Kluwer/Plenum, New York, pp. 321–334.
MindMatters Evaluation Consortium (2000). Report of the MindMatters (National Mental Health in Schools Project) Evaluation Project, vols. 1–4. Hunter Institute of Mental Health, Newcastle, Australia.
Molina, B. S. G., Smith, B. H., and Pelham, W. E.Jr. (2004). A school-wide program to improve behavior in a public middle school: Implementation, satisfaction, and effectiveness. Submitted for publication.
Mullett, E. K., Evans, S., and Weist, M. D. (2004). A whole-school approach to mental health promotion: The Australian MindMatters program. In Clauss-Ehlers, C., and Weist, M. D. (eds.), Community Planning to Foster Resilience in Children. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, pp. 297–310.
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (2003). Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America. Final Report (Pub. No. SMA-03-3832). DHHS, Rockville, MD.
Pelosi, N. (1996). Reducing risks of mental disorders. Am. Psychol. 51: 1128–1129.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1999). Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, MD.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (November 2000). Healthy People 2010, 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health, 2 vols. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Weist, M., Evans, S. W., and Lever, N. (eds.). (2003). Handbook of School Mental Health. Kluwer/Plenum, New York.
Weist, M. D., Myers, C. P., Hastings, E., Ghuman, H., and Han, Y. (1999). Psychosocial functioning of youth receiving mental health services in the schools versus community mental health centers. Community Ment. Health J. 35(1): 69–81.
Wyn, J., Cahill, H., Holdsworth, R., Rowling, L., and Carson, S. (2000). MindMatters, a whole-school approach promoting mental health and wellbeing. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry, 34: 594–601.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Evans, S.W., Mullett, E., Weist, M.D. et al. Feasibility of the MindMatters School Mental Health Promotion Program in American Schools. J Youth Adolescence 34, 51–58 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-005-1336-9
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-005-1336-9