Validation and evaluation of school-based mental health literacy training program "The Guide Cymru" in Iranian adolescent students aged 13–15: study protocol

Abstract

Abstract Background Schools are an ideal setting for enhancing mental health literacy, a crucial strategy for improving adolescents’ mental health knowledge and attitudes and promoting help-seeking. "The Guide Cymru" program is an adaptation of the mental health literacy program" The Guide" that was developed in Canada. The program will be culturally adapted for 13- to 15-year-old Iranian adolescent students in the first secondary schools. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, using the stratified random sampling procedure, the whole eighth and ninth grade student body (aged 13 to 15) from Sirjan City's first secondary schools will be included in the study. Twenty first secondary schools will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: control or intervention. Finally, 562 students and 40 teachers will participate in the research. The tools of mental health literacy scale (MHLs), mental health general knowledge and attitudes related to mental disorders/illnesses are employed in this study. Discussion This trial aims to be to explore whether "The Guide Cymru", a mental health literacy program offered to students as part of the school curriculum, can decrease the stigma associated with mental health and promote help-seeking behaviors among students.