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Measuring secondary school staff confidence and concerns around youth mental health, 2021

Study number (SN): 0080-00

CITATION

ABOUT THE STUDY 

This study collected data on secondary school staff confidence and worries around delivering mental health content to students. The aim of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of two new measures developed in Canada and previously tested on a sample of elementary school teachers (Linden &Stuart, 2019).

A comprehensive mixed-methods survey was developed including the two measures in question: The Teacher Confidence Scale to Deliver Mental Health Content (TCS-MH) and the What Worries Me Scale (WWMS), as well as a measure of mental health knowledge (MHKS; Dooley et al 2014), mental health stigma (RIBS; Evans-Lacko et al, 2011), teacher efficacy (TSES; Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001), and anxiety (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). The survey also included detailed demographic questions, capturing information both about the participants and their schools. Finally, the survey included an open question where participants were asked to describe their experience of addressing mental health in school.

Participants were recruited via social media, via Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland, and via snowball sampling. In total, n=644 secondary school staff members completed the survey. The majority of the final sample were female (n=514) and were subject teachers (n=444), although n=79 of these teachers also reported having an additional role. The final sample also included school leadership, staff in wellbeing support roles, learning support staff, and non-teaching staff. Less than half of the sample indicated that they had received previous mental health training (n=289) and details of this training was included in n=246 responses. N=359 participants also responded to the open question detailing their experience of addressing mental health in the course of their work. Data on the schools represented in the sample fit well with national figures from the Department of Education from the same year.

MAIN TOPICS 

• Mental Health
• Mental Health Attitudes
• Secondary Education
• Secondary School Teachers

COVERAGE, UNIVERSE, METHODOLOGY 

Population 

School staff working in secondary education in Ireland.

Observation units 

• Individuals

Temporal coverage 

From 02/2021 to 03/2021

Time dimension  

Cross-sectional one-time study

Geographical coverage 

Country: Ireland

Methods of data collection 

• CASI (Computer Assisted Self Interviewing). 

Sampling procedures 

Participants were recruited chiefly through social media; study information and links to the survey were posted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We also ran a targeted Facebook ad campaign. Snowball sampling was also employed; study information and survey links were sent to school contacts who further shared the information with their colleagues. Finally, participants were recruited through Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland; study information and links were shared at the end of courses for teachers.

Response rate 

 694 participants responded to the survey, 48 participants did not consent to participate and did not answer any further questions, these were deleted from the dataset, 2 participants consented to participate and completed the survey, but did not respond to any questions, these were removed from the dataset. The final sample is 644.

DATA AND DOCUMENTATION: FILES’ DESCRIPTION  

Data (available through ISSDA application process) 

Documentation (available for download) 

ACCESS INFORMATION 

Accessing the data 

To access the data, please complete a ISSDA Data Request Form for Research Purposes, sign it, and send it to ISSDA by email.

Data will be disseminated on receipt of a fully completed, signed form. Incomplete or unsigned forms will be returned to the data requester for completion.

Copyright 

The copyright for this data belongs jointly to Professor Eilis Hennessy, and Maeve Dwan-O’Reilly, School of Psychology, University College Dublin.

Acknowledgements 

Any work based in whole or part on resources provided by the ISSDA, should  acknowledge: “Measuring secondary school staff confidence and concerns around youth mental health, 2021. [dataset]” and also ISSDA, in the following way: “Accessed via the Irish Social Science Data Archive - www.ucd.ie/issda”.

Citation requirement 

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical citation 

Dwan O’Reilly, M., Walsh, L., Booth, A., Heary, C. & Hennessy, E (2023). Measuring secondary school staff confidence and concerns around youth mental health, 2021 [dataset]. Version 1. Dublin: Irish Social Sciences Data Archive. SN: 080-00. https://www.ucd.ie/issda/data/schoolstaffconfidence/

Notification 

The user shall notify the Irish Social Science Data Archive of all publications where she or he has used the data.