ReSET for Schools
Onset of mental health problems peaks in adolescence, a period of our lives characterized by changing social relationships and heightened emotions and feelings. Once developed, students may experience not only reduced mental wellbeing, but also difficulties in other areas of life, such as academic engagement and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, it is important to target early signs of mental health problems before they escalate!
To that end, the primary goal of the ReSET project is to develop a hybrid, preventative intervention targeting years 7-9 students who are already experiencing some mental health difficulties. Our 8-week skill-based training programme is designed to target problems in interpersonal relationships and emotions – known transdiagnostic mechanisms underlying vulnerability to mental health problems. Each week, students are invited to participate in group sessions with their classmates (approximately 10 students) and learn about: i) emotion recognition (self and others), ii) awareness of bodily sensations associated with different emotions, and iii) interaction skills. By the end of the programme, students may experience improved emotion processing skills and social relationships, as well as positive effects on their well-being.
We have now successfully completed the feasability phase of our project, and received positive feedback from participating students:
Not only have our participants experienced positive changes throughout the programme, but parents and teachers have noticed these improvements.
We have just started the screening phase of our main study and the first set of workshops will run from April 2023-July 2023. Follow us on Twitter for regular updates on the progression of this project.
Want to find out how your school can get involved? Please email us at reset.project@ucl.ac.uk