Abstract
Promoting mental health in the school context can occur through social and emotional learning, resilience and the prevention of behavioural problems. The present study aims to identify teachers’ perceptions of changes in children and adolescents’ social and emotional competencies, resilience and the prevention of behavioural problems after the implementation of a school-based mental health curriculum called PROMEHS (Promoting Mental Health at Schools). A total of 61 teachers from kindergarten to high school implemented the curriculum in their classes and subsequently shared their perceptions of changes in students’ social and emotional competencies, resilience and reduced behavioural problems. A qualitative content analysis was conducted through a deductive approach. For this analysis, teachers’ written guided reflections after implementation were used. The findings indicate that teachers perceived changes across all three domains. The most salient changes were reported in students’ social and emotional learning, particularly in relationship skills, self-regulation, self-awareness and social awareness, followed by perceived gains in resilience and a reduction in behavioural problems. The study also highlights intra-thematic relationships among categories, especially in the social and emotional learning domains. Inter-thematic relationships between domains were also found, with a higher prevalence between social and emotional learning and resilience. The present study reinforces existing evidence on the benefits of school-based mental health programmes for students. It highlights the value of teacher-based qualitative evaluations in capturing the impacts of such programmes. Future studies employing similar methodologies are recommended to further identify context-specific improvements and enhance the understanding of program outcomes across diverse educational settings.
Context and implications
Rationale for this study: Quantitative evaluations of school-based mental health programmes often show modest or mixed effects, providing limited insight into how change occurs in everyday school contexts.
Why the new findings matter: This qualitative study addresses this gap by examining teachers’ perceptions of student change, offering a nuanced understanding of mechanisms, influences, and cross-domain effects beyond measurable outcomes.
Implications: For teachers, the results emphasize the importance of teacher involvement in school interventions and reflective observation to promote social-emotional learning, resilience, and prosocial behaviours. For researchers, the study demonstrates the value of qualitative methods in complementing outcome-focused evaluations, providing insights into the processes of change. For policymakers, results support sustained investment in school-based mental health promotion aligned with whole-school and preventive frameworks. It also highlights how curriculum-based interventions can yield meaningful benefits within educational practices.