Interventions in Schools for Promoting Wellbeing: Research in Education (INSPIRE) - Years 7 and 8

Schools participating in the INSPIRE trial will be randomly allocated to one of four groups:

1. Mindfulness 

This intervention is based on delivering mindfulness-based skills with a particular emphasis on activities which focus on the mind, the body and the world. It will be delivered by trained schools professionals for 5 minutes on a daily basis between January and April 2023.

2. Relaxation 

This intervention is based on delivering relaxation-based skills, with a particular focus on deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation techniques. It will be delivered by trained school professionals for 5 minutes on a daily basis between January and April 2023.

3. Strategies for Safety and Wellbeing 

This programme has been influenced by the Protective Behaviours approach. The focus is on mental health awareness within the context of developing safety behaviours and identifying and accessing appropriate support networks. It consists of eight consecutive weekly lessons each lasting 45 minutes, which are delivered by a trained school professional between January and April 2023.

4. Usual Practice

Schools allocated to the Usual Practice group will not be required to deliver a specific mental health intervention during the programme. These schools will complete all other aspects of the INSPIRE project (pupil and staff surveys) and will be compared to those delivering Mindfulness, Relaxation and Strategies for Safety & Wellbeing, helping us examine the effects of each mental health intervention. 

Following completion of the project, Usual Practice schools will be offered up to five places for staff on a mental health and wellbeing training.