Enhancing Mental Health Literacy in Schools

We are happy to report that the mental health literacy project at a local secondary school (Mashujaa) launched on July 2nd, 2023. The 1-year project is funded by Sony Music Group. We completed the teacher and student training phase endof June.

Our implementing partner, the Mental Helth Association of Tanzania (MEHATA) manualized the adapted mental health literacy curriculum guide from WHO's School Mental Health Program and Teen Mental Health's (Canadian organization) Mental Health Literacy Curriculum Guide. MEHATA facilitated the training

We trained 40 teaches in evidence-based mental and behavioral interventions in the school setting. 14 students identified as mental health ambassadors were also trained as a peer-led support system for the students.

The projected outcome is for the entire student-body, 1,280 youth, are taught mental health literacy in school. 

Links:

• Storytelling

We are in the exciting planning stages before the launch of our school-based mental health literacy program. We are collaborating with a secondary school in Dar. We look forward to sharing more when the project starts. 

We are noticing increasing cases of mental health challenges among students and young people. Our youth are particularly at risk of mental disorders and healthcare systems are not well equipped to deal with all of them. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), much of adult mental ill-health begins in adolescence, with an estimated 75% of all lifetime mental disorders occurring before the age of 25.

One of our goals for teaching mental health literacy is to reduce the burden on mental health care systems. Investing in students’ mental health also improves academic achievement rates, and decreases grade retention and drop outs.