Best practice guidelines for mental health promotion programs: Children & Youth

This web resource provides the health and social service provider (“practitioner”) with current evidence-based approaches in the application of mental health promotion concepts and principles for children and youth. It is envisioned that these guidelines will support both the inclusion and the sustainability of mental health promotion concepts.

This resource is intended to support practitioners in incorporating best practice approaches to mental health promotion interventions directed toward children (7–12 years of age) and youth (13–19 years of age).

This resource includes:

• Guidelines: Identifies the 10 best practice guidelines for mental health promotion interventions with children and youth.
• Theory: Provides practitioners with the context for mental health promotion through definitions and underlying concepts, with a focus on promoting resilience.
• Resources: Provides a worksheet (MS Word doc) that can be used by practitioners to plan and implement mental health promotion initiatives, a sample worksheet (PDF) showing how it has been used in a mental health promotion initiative and a glossary of words commonly used in mental health promotion.
• References and Acknowledgements:  Lists references used to develop these guidelines, and provides author information and acknowledges those who helped develop this web resource.

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In Best practice guidelines for directing interventions for children and youth:

Guidelines :
The(se) 10 guidelines define best practices for mental health promotion interventions. They are based on mental health promotion principles that have been identified through critical analysis of literature reviews. The guidelines are not intended to be used as an evaluation tool, but rather to improve existing interventions or develop new interventions. Not all components will apply in all contexts, because the guidelines are based on ideal mental health promotion interventions. Health and social service providers will have to take into consideration their own level of resources and restrictions, given the overall mandate of their organization. They should apply what is relevant for their programming needs.

1. Address and modify risk and protective factors that indicate possible mental health concerns.
2. Intervene in multiple settings, with a focus on schools.
3. Focus on skill building, empowerment, self-efficacy and individual resilience, and respect.
4. Train non-professionals to establish caring and trusting relationships.
5. Involve multiple stakeholders.
6. Provide comprehensive support systems that focus on peer and parent-child relations, and academic performance.
7. Adopt multiple interventions.
8. Address opportunities for organizational change, policy development and advocacy.
9. Demonstrate a long-term commitment to program planning, development and evaluation.
10. Ensure that information and services provided are culturally appropriate, equitable and holistic.

• Theory  
  • How is mental health promotion related to health promotion?
  • What makes mental health promotion different from health promotion?
  • What are the goals of mental health promotion?
  • What are the characteristics of successful mental health promotion interventions?
• Resources
  • Blank worksheet for planning mental health promotion interventions (MS Word)
  • Sample completed worksheet (PDF)
  • Glossary of commonly used terms
• References used to develop these guidelines
• Authorship and acknowledgements  

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