Scaling a school program to prevent children's mental health problems
Testing multi-level scale-up strategies to implement a school-based population approach of mental health preventive intervention
This project will try different ways to expand a school program that trains teachers to prevent mental health problems in young children in Uganda.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11369208 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a parent's point of view, this project brings ParentCorps-Professional Development into more schools to help teachers use proven strategies that support children’s emotional and behavioral health. The team will train and support teachers and encourage them to share skills with parents, using a task-shifting approach so teachers deliver preventive care in the classroom. Researchers will compare horizontal approaches that spread high-quality delivery across schools with vertical approaches that embed the program into education policies and systems. They will follow how well these strategies help the program reach and stick in schools over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children aged roughly 0–11 years (preschool and early elementary), their parents, and classroom teachers in participating Ugandan schools.
Not a fit: Children who do not attend the selected schools or who have severe psychiatric conditions requiring specialty clinical care are unlikely to benefit directly from this preventive school program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more children could receive early school-based support that reduces behavioral and emotional problems and lowers risk for later mental health disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Previous task-shifting school programs in Uganda and Nepal showed positive child outcomes, but large-scale strategies to sustain and institutionalize these programs are less tested.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Keng-Yen — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Huang, Keng-Yen
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.