Aevidum Curriculum/Club Evaluation
Condition: Mental Health Wellness 1
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The study purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Aevidum curriculum (plus/minus
      club) to improve adolescent mental health knowledge, help-seeking intentions, and school
      culture. Investigators will partner with 12 high schools for this study. Prior to the start
      of the 2021-2022 academic year, schools will be recruited and randomly assigned to implement
      the Aevidum curriculum (n=6) or the curriculum and club (n=6).
    

Detailed description: 
      Aevidum was established in 2009 as a student-led initiative to raise awareness and reduce the
      stigma surrounding mental illness. Their mental health curriculum and club activities are
      currently used in over 300 schools in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. In comparison to
      current interventions, Aevidum is unique in that it provides students the opportunity to
      build a strong support system among peers. Aevidum's curriculum and club activities provide
      an opportunity for schools and students to engage with mental health and suicide prevention
      materials with a student-directed method. Youth voice is a powerful tool that schools and
      communities can utilize to make mental health and suicide prevention programming more
      impactful. Allowing youth the chance to lead and let their voices be heard can create greater
      buy-in for activities.

      At present, there is not a strong evidence-base for the efficacy of student-led initiatives
      that aid in reaching mandated Act 71 curriculum standards for mental health and suicide
      prevention. Aevidum lacks an evidence-base for its curriculum and club programming, which is
      freely available to schools. To continue offering free resources, while also maintaining and
      updating these resources to ensure they are innovative and best reflect student needs,
      Aevidum needs to establish an evidence-base to support future funding. This project plans to
      evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts in supporting adolescent mental health. Results
      will be used to inform school-based mental health programming and to establish an
      evidence-base for the Aevidum program, furthering mental health awareness and education,
      while also reducing mental health stigma.

      While set up as a randomized clinical trial, this portion of the study is largely exploratory
      and has not be formally powered. Knowledge, help-seeking, school environment/stigma and
      program visibility will be assessed both in a pre/post assessment and compared between study
      arms as follows:

      Aim 1: Assess Aevidum's curriculum in improving students' mental health knowledge and
      help-seeking intentions.

      Hypothesis: Exposure to Aevidum's five module mental health curriculum will result in
      significant improvements in knowledge and help seeking intentions between pre- and
      post-survey measures using the published University of Michigan Depression Center (UMDC)
      Peer-to-Peer Depression Awareness Assessment among the 6 schools assigned to curriculum only.

      Aim 2: Assess the combination of Aevidum's curriculum AND club activities to improve student
      perceptions of school culture.

      Hypothesis: Exposure to both curriculum and club activities will have the added benefit of
      improving school environment/stigma and program visibility in addition to knowledge and
      help-seeking on the Peer-to-Peer Depression Awareness Assessment among the 6 schools assigned
      to curriculum + club.

      In secondary statistical analysis, the curriculum-only schools will be compared to the
      curriculum plus club activities schools directly.

      Specifically: 1) Compare students from schools in Aim 1 (curriculum only) to those in Aim 2
      (curriculum plus club) regarding changes in knowledge, help-seeking behavior, school
      environment/stigma and program visibility.

      2) Compare the impact on 9th graders in curriculum schools versus 9th graders in curriculum
      plus club schools (curriculum will specifically be delivered to 9th grade students at all
      participating high schools).
    

Intervention name(s): Aevidum curriculum; Club
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): The Aevidum curriculum will be delivered to 9th grade students at participating high schools in both study arms. All school staff who plan to deliver the curriculum will participate in a web-based training workshop with the Aevidum Executive Director.; Schools will identify ten students interested in participating in an Aevidum club. Following training of interested students, schools are asked to commit to running two Aevidum club activities during the school year.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Mental Health; Adolescents