Effectiveness of Enhanced Mental Health Support for Young People

Effectiveness of Enhanced Mental Health Support for Young People

The aim of the research project is to measure the effectiveness of an early and rapid psychiatric nurse intervention at schools in improving the emotional well-being and functioning of adolescents.

In this study, the impact of a short psychological intervention on adolescent emotional well-being, symptoms, and functioning is assessed. The intervention is a short intervention based on the methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy comprising 6 weekly sessions. It is delivered by psychiatric nurses working in the schools in the City of Turku. The participants are adolescents aged 12-18 who seek student health care due to mental health problems. The goal is to recruit 150 participants. The intervention is not tied to some particular disorder and thus, the main response variable is emotional well-being. Emotional well-being is measured at both the beginning and the end of the intervention, and at 6-month follow-up using the Young Person's Clinical Outcomes for Routine Evaluation (YP-CORE) questionnaire. Effectiveness is measured as a change in the YP-CORE scores.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Young Person's Clinical Outcomes for Routine Evaluation (YP-CORE) score ≥14
• Willing and able to commit to the intervention and study protocol
• Sufficient proficiency in Finnish

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other ongoing mental health treatment
• Substance use as the main problem