| Summary: | Abstract Adolescence is a vulnerable age for emerging mental health problems. As schools are everyday environments for children and adolescents, mental health promotion interventions may be especially effective when delivered within them. The aim of this study was to generate knowledge on mental health promotion interventions in comprehensive schools in northern Finland. First, a mental health promotion model for comprehensive schools was developed by psychiatric nurses in collaboration with school professionals in workshops in Oulu, Finland. A review of the literature, which revealed that mental health promotion in schools includes indicated, selective and universal interventions, was used as a basis for the study, together with written reports from the workshops. Secondly, school professionals from comprehensive schools with or without interventions developed in the mental health promotion model in Oulu were included in the study, and their perceptions of student well-being and mental health promotion in school were queried. The study samples consisted of school professionals from 9 intervention schools and from 49 non-intervention schools. School professionals considered that student well-being has declined and that students show a general disregard for their own well-being. Mental health promotion was regarded as a ‘core business’ of schools. Thirdly, a universal psychoeducation intervention, including lectures and group work on mental health issues, was delivered to 14-years old students in eighth grade. Students from two comprehensive schools were included, 85 pupils in 8th grade forming an intervention group and 77 a non-intervention group. The psychoeducation intervention delivered in classroom settings increased boys’ recognition of conduct disorders and altered girls’ attitudes to regard mental health disorders more as real medical conditions than as personal traits. Students reported feeling more comfortable seeking help from family members and friends than from professionals. The least likely persons ...
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