Positive school experiences and adolescent mental health

Adolescent student mental health and childhood experiences data were collected by survey and subsequently linked to relevant adolescent covariate data which was collected via secondary means from post-primary schools. This study found that cumulative PSEs showed predictive associations with a range of adolescent mental health outcomes and were more salient in relation to adolescent mental health than other PCEs. Moreover, the study found that a brief positively focused measure of school experiences has the potential to support universal mental health screening in schools based on strong predictive relationships with adolescent mental health outcomes.

The findings in this study suggest that those involved in the development of school policy and practice consider the importance of promoting the development of a strong base of cumulative PSEs for all students, as well as consider the utilisation of PSEs centred measures, with robust psychometric properties, to potentially support the universal screening of adolescent mental health risk.<br><br><i>Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2027.</i><br>