Mushonga Rufaro Hamish, Jopling Rebecca, Glozah Franklin, Kamvura Tiny Tinashe, Dodd Suzanne, Gudyanga Denford, Maramba Arnold, Dambayi Edith, Ayuure Christopher Abio, Bere Tarisai, Achana Fabian Sebastian, Owusu Lucy, Chibanda Dixon, Abas Melanie, Weobong Benedict, Kumwenda Moses
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, England.
Department of Pathology, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
PLoS One. 2025 May 9;20(5):e0322954. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322954. eCollection 2025.
Young people in low-resource settings are disproportionately affected by mental health problems, yet access to formal mental healthcare remains limited. However, schools in these regions have increasingly become the primary settings for mental health interventions, offering an accessible and supportive environment for mental health services. Recognising the critical role schools play in providing mental health services for young people, there has been a growing emphasis on involving parents in school-based mental health (SBMH) interventions in low-resource settings. This study explored the mechanisms for effectively involving parents in SBMH interventions for young people in Zimbabwe and Ghana.
Cross-sectional qualitative research was conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe and Navrongo, Ghana. This study is a sub-analysis of a larger formative qualitative study which aimed to identify evidence for adapting interventions for depression and anxiety for young people aged 15-24 in Zimbabwe, and 15-18 in Ghana, and test the feasibility of the adapted intervention. We utilised semi-structured in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with various stakeholders until data saturation was achieved. All interviews were audiotaped and later transcribed verbatim and translated to English for analysis. Data for this study were inductively coded and analysed using thematic analysis.
Effective mechanisms for engaging parents in SBMH include routine parent-teacher meetings, interface meetings between parents and school-based mental healthcare providers, and direct parental participation in sessions. However, while parental involvement is key for SBMH interventions, it can be problematic. In some cases, parents may unintentionally breach their children's privacy and confidentiality or may be the source of their children's mental health problems.
The study's findings underscore the importance of parents as vital partners in SBMH interventions. Given the positive impact of parental involvement, it is essential to incorporate parents into the design and implementation of these interventions. By leveraging the insights from this study, interventionists can develop and implement more effective and low-cost SBMH interventions, which can significantly improve mental health outcomes for young people in low-resource settings.
资源匮乏地区的年轻人受心理健康问题的影响尤为严重，但获得正规心理医疗服务的机会仍然有限。然而，这些地区的学校日益成为心理健康干预的主要场所，为心理健康服务提供了一个可及且支持性的环境。认识到学校在为年轻人提供心理健康服务方面所起的关键作用，在资源匮乏地区，越来越强调让家长参与到基于学校的心理健康（SBMH）干预中。本研究探讨了在津巴布韦和加纳有效让家长参与针对年轻人的SBMH干预的机制。
在津巴布韦的哈拉雷和加纳的纳瓦龙戈进行了横断面定性研究。本研究是一项更大的形成性定性研究的子分析，该研究旨在确定针对津巴布韦15 - 24岁、加纳15 - 18岁年轻人的抑郁症和焦虑症干预措施调整的证据，并测试调整后干预措施的可行性。我们与各类利益相关者进行了半结构化深度访谈、关键信息人访谈和焦点小组讨论，直至达到数据饱和。所有访谈都进行了录音，随后逐字转录并翻译成英文进行分析。本研究的数据采用归纳编码并通过主题分析进行分析。
让家长参与SBMH的有效机制包括定期的家长会、家长与校内心理健康服务提供者的对接会议以及家长直接参与课程。然而，虽然家长参与对SBMH干预至关重要，但也可能存在问题。在某些情况下，家长可能无意中侵犯孩子的隐私和保密性，或者可能是孩子心理健康问题的根源。
该研究结果强调了家长作为SBMH干预中重要伙伴的重要性。鉴于家长参与的积极影响，将家长纳入这些干预措施的设计和实施至关重要。通过利用本研究的见解，干预者可以开发并实施更有效且低成本的SBMH干预措施，这可以显著改善资源匮乏地区年轻人的心理健康状况。
