teenAID: A Cluster Randomised Control Trial to evaluate first aid training for teenagers

Project Details

This project aims to teach secondary students in Year 10 (approximately 16 years of age), across Victoria, the skills to recognise and respond to mental health problems and physical injuries in their peers.

Training of Year 10 students will take place across two consecutive school years, at no cost to the schools involved. Schools are not able to decide which training they will receive first. In year one, schools will be randomised to receive either teen Mental Health First Aid or Red Cross Let’s Talk First Aid. In year two, the new cohort of Year 10 students will receive the alternative training program.

  • teen Mental Health First Aid course (Senior Years 10-12) (3×75min sessions in person) which teaches teenagers how to recognise a mental health problem (when there is a change in a young person’s thoughts, feelings or behaviour that disrupts their ability to study, work or carry out their daily activities), or mental health crisis (when there is an increased risk of harm to the young person or others). The program aims to encourage teenagers to connect peers with a responsible and trusted adult.
  • Red Cross Let's Talk First Aid course (3×75min sessions in person) which teaches teenagers the skills to provide basic physical first aid to their peers. This program is designed to develop students’ knowledge and skills in emergency first aid (e.g. CPR and defibrillation), and basic first aid for common injuries experienced by teenagers such as sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, and concussions.

The recruitment for this project is complete. If you or your school are interested in finding out more about teenMHFA please contact Mental Health First Aid Australia If you are interested in finding out more about this trial, please contact our research team at teen-AID@unimelb.edu.au or on (03) 9035 6515.

For more information about the evidence base for the teen MHFA program, please see: https://mspgh.unimelb.edu.au/research-groups/centre-for-mental-health/population-mental-health/teen-mental-health-first-aid-training.

For more information about youth and teen Mental Health First Aid, please see the attached flyer.

Researchers

  • Dr Laura Hart – Principal investigator
  • Karen Gregg – Trial Manager
  • Maxine Gross – Research Assistant
  • Catherine Johnson - Research Assistant
  • Professor Tony Jorm – Senior Investigator
  • Dr Claire Kelly (Mental Health First Aid Australia and Deakin University)
  • Adjunct Professor Betty Kitchener (Mental Health First Aid Australia and Deakin University)
  • Professor Michael Sawyer (University of Adelaide)

Collaborators

Funding

2017 – 2021 NHMRC Project Grant - Improving the capacity of peers to provide guidance and support for adolescents with mental health problems

Research Group

Population Mental Health




Key Contact

For further information about this research, please contact the research group leader.

Department / Centre

Centre for Mental Health and Community Wellbeing

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