Teachers’ experiences of school-based mental health literacy programmes: a qualitative study of tackling the blues

Abstract

Concern about school pupils' mental health has increased globally. Mental health programmes in state schools, including those provided by external partners, have also expanded. However, little research exists which explores the views and experiences of teachers and other school staff on the development of coproduced, contextually tailored, mental health literacy (MHL) programmes delivered with external partners (including academic researchers and community organisations) to support pupil mental health. This paper reports new interview data from 14 teachers and 1 teaching assistant based in 8 primary schools in north-west England who were involved with a sport- and art-based MHL programme (Tackling the Blues, TtB) during the school year 2022/23. Three themes were identifiable in the interviewees' comments: (i) Externality and navigating the constraints of the national curriculum; (ii) “It's opened my eyes”: developing and enhancing mental health literacy; and (iii) Supporting inclusive and proactive mentally healthy schools. Our findings suggest that TtB provided schools and teachers the opportunity to work with external organisations committed to working with, rather than on or for, them over the school year. This collaborative approach helped align TtB to the values, ethos, and strategic priorities of the school, including existing whole-school approaches to mental health within and beyond the curriculum. External partners' complementary expertise helped build capacity for delivering MHL work flexibly in schools, strengthened teachers' confidence, and expanded their understanding of pupils' diverse mental health needs. This further strengthened programme acceptability by fostering more pupil-to-pupil conversations which were perceived to positively contribute to stigma reduction and help-seeking efficacy.