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Young people's views of mental health education in secondary schools: a Scottish study
Author(s) -
Woolfson R.,
Woolfson L.,
Mooney L.,
Bryce D.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
child: care, health and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2214
pISSN - 0305-1862
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2008.00901.x
Subject(s) - mental health , exploratory research , psychology , focus group , young adult , secondary education , sample (material) , medical education , developmental psychology , medicine , pedagogy , psychiatry , sociology , social science , chemistry , chromatography , anthropology
Background This exploratory study used mixed methods to investigate young people's preferences in the delivery of mental health education and to investigate possible age and gender differences. Method Information was gathered about the delivery of mental health education in three secondary schools. Nine pupil focus groups were carried out to identify key themes which were then further developed and administered through questionnaires to a larger sample of 773 pupils. Results Gender and age differences were found in young people's preferences about who should deliver mental health education, and what, when, where and how this should be delivered. Conclusion Mental health education should reflect the needs of young people. Age and gender preferences should be considered when designing these programmes.