Published in:
01-08-2016 | Original Paper
Research and partnerships with schools
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 8/2016
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Purpose
Despite the quantity of research on child and adolescent mental health being done in schools, little output has focused on the practical aspects of recruiting schools and students into a study. Furthermore, there is limited knowledge on how to develop and sustain productive and mutually beneficial partnerships with schools after the project finishes.
Methods
A large study examining prevalence of mental health problems in young people involving nine schools is used as an example for the procedure of recruitment and carrying out a research project, while developing and sustaining partnerships with schools.
Results
While recruiting the schools, a three-stage model was developed that corresponded closely to the school’s needs and existing demands. The suggested procedure for the study, thus, closely reflected the varying existing cultures of participating schools. Partnerships, developed as a result of the project, were used in developing further projects and interventions for promoting good mental health in schools.
Conclusions
Rather than a blanket research recruitment and procedural approach with an end to school involvement at the end of the project, the paper advocates for a deeper understanding of the schools’ internal culture for improved recruitment and study outcomes. Developed partnerships, when sustained past the completion of research, prove to be a useful tool in applying the findings in promoting good mental health in schools and continuing research further.