| Summary: | Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of a peer delivered wellbeing intervention for pupils within a Scottish secondary school setting comparing peer-trained class facilitators and CBT-trained class facilitators. To gather feedback on the experience of being a class facilitator. Design: A pre-post, mixed-methods design was utilised. Setting: Religious Moral Citizenship and Education (RMCE) classes in a Scottish secondary school. Participants: Nineteen sixth year class facilitators were recruited and randomly allocated to peer-led (N = 10) or CBT (N = 9) training. Eight classes of third year secondary school pupils were allocated to two conditions. Four classes (n = 100) taught by peer-trained class facilitators and four classes (n = 95) taught by CBT-trained class facilitators Intervention: ‘My Big Life’ is a shortened, simplified version of the Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) young person’s course. My Big Life’ contains four sessions centred upon feelings, behaviour, thinking and problem solving. It was delivered over four weeks by the class facilitators. Outcome measures: The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) was administered at baseline, post-intervention and three-month follow-up. The Training Acceptability Rating Scale was administered to the class facilitators post training and to the 3rd year students’ post-intervention. Two focus groups were completed post-intervention with the peer-trained class facilitators (n = 4) and CBT trained class facilitators (n = 3). Results: There was a significant improvement in wellbeing for pupils with initial low well-being scores provided with training by CBT trained class facilitators (p = 0.01). Overall, those with lower initial wellbeing scores showed greater improvement than those with initial high wellbeing scores. Pupils rated the intervention as being beneficial. Class facilitators identified a number of benefits from participating in the programme. Difficulties and suggested improvements were also highlighted. Conclusions: A short intervention delivered by student class facilitators can lead to wellbeing improvements, particularly for those with lower initial wellbeing scores. Peer-led training appeared to be as effective as CBT led training and suggests that peer training may be an effective model to transfer skills to further year groups. However, further research is warranted in order to make more substantial recommendations.
|
|---|
