Psychosocial Support Program for Public School Teachers
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
AgeNot listed
SponsorHospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if different formats of a school-based psychosocial support training program can improve teachers' ability to recognize and respond to students' mental health needs. The study will include teachers working in public schools in Brazil.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
1. Do teachers who receive the training improve their knowledge on how to better to identify and support students with mental health difficulties? 2. Do different formats of training (synchronous online or self-paced) and the presence of supervision lead to different levels of improvement in this knowledge, in attitudes related to mental health, and helping behaviors?
Researchers will compare three versions of the program (synchronous online with supervision sessions, synchronous online without supervision sessions, and asynchronous format) to see which approach is more effective, acceptable, and feasible.
Participants will:
1. Take part in a training program delivered online or through self-paced materials; 2. In some groups, attend additional supervision sessions to discuss real-life cases; 3. Receive brief follow-up materials through mobile messages after the training 4. Complete online questionnaires at multiple time points (before the training, during the program, after completion, and at follow-up).
The study will measure changes in teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to supporting students' mental health, as well as satisfaction with the program and its feasibility for large-scale implementation.
It will include teachers from the state education system of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and public schools from municipal education systems in participating municipalities in the same country
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Public schools from the state education system of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, serving students in Ensino Fundamental and Ensino Médio (equivalent to grades 1-12), and belonging to Polo 1 or Polo 2, administrative groupings defined by the Rio Grande do Sul State Department of Education that include the following Regional Education Coordinators (Coordenadorias Regionais de Educação [CREs]): 1st, 2nd, 11th, 12th, 27th, and 28th CREs (Polo 1), and 4th, 7th, 15th, 16th, 23rd, 25th, and 39th CREs (Polo 2);
Schools with 10 or more teachers on staff.
Able and willing to participate in all stages of the intervention and scheduled assessments;
Provide informed consent prior to participation.
Disqualifiers
Schools with fewer than 10 teachers on staff;
Youth and Adult Education Centers (Núcleos de Educação de Jovens e Adultos [EJA]);
Schools that began operating as full-time schools in 2026;
Schools not belonging to Polo 1 or Polo 2 of the state education system of Rio Grande do Sul;
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Online School-Based Psychosocial Support Training
BehavioralA structured training program designed to improve teachers' ability to recognize and respond to students' mental health needs. The intervention includes evidence-based content on mental health literacy, identification of emotional and behavioral difficulties, and appropriate support and referral strategies. The training is delivered trough synchronous videoconference in two weekly sessions.
Asynchronous School-Based Psychosocial Support Training
BehavioralA structured training program designed to improve teachers' ability to recognize and respond to students' mental health needs. The intervention includes evidence-based content on mental health literacy, identification of emotional and behavioral difficulties, and appropriate support and referral strategies. The training is delivered through an asynchronous self-paced course in a digital platform.
Supervision Sessions
BehavioralStructured small-group supervision sessions conducted via audio calls, focused on discussion of real-life cases, clarification of concepts, and support for practical application of the training content.
Mobile-Based Reinforcement Materials
BehavioralBrief follow-up materials delivered via mobile messaging to reinforce key concepts covered in the training sessions.
Treatment groups
2,970 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: Arm 1: Online Training + SupervisionExperimental treatment 3 interventions
Group B: Arm 2: Online Training OnlyExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Group C: Arm 3: Asynchronous Training (Control Condition)Active comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Change in the score in the Mental health Knowledge & Attitudes Questionnaire
Psychosocial support skills knowledge and attitudes will be assessed using a multiple choice instrument (Mental health Knowledge \& Attitudes Questionnaire) developed for this study and previously piloted in a sample of teachers. Scores will range from 0 to 100%, reflecting the percentage of correct responses.
Time frame
Baseline (T0) to post-intervention at 2-4 weeks (T2)Secondary outcomes
1
Early and Sustained change in the score in the Mental health Knowledge & Attitudes Questionnaire
Same instrument used in the primary outcome
Time frame
Baseline (T0) to after the second training session (approximately 1 week after baseline)/after ending of the asynchronous training (T1); Baseline (T0) to 1-month follow-up (T3)2
Appropriate Response to a Student Mental Health Concern: Open-Ended Classroom Scenario
Participants are asked to recall a recent situation in their classroom in which they noticed behaviors in a student that raised a possible concern about the student's mental health or psychosocial well-being. Participants provide an open-ended description of the situation and the behaviors they observed and describe what, if anything, they did to support the student. Responses will be evaluated to determine whether the actions described by the participant are considered appropriate (1) or not (0) based on the principles taught in the training. This assessment will be blind to the allocation group. The percentage of responses classified as appropriate will be calculated and compared across the three intervention arms. The recall period varies by assessment time point: at T1 and T2, situations occurring during the past week; and at T3, situations occurring during the past month.
Time frame
after the second training session (approximately 1 week after baseline)/after ending of the asynchronous training (T1); post-intervention at 2-4 weeks (T2); 1-month follow-up (T3)3
Self-rated knowledge
Assessed using two self-report items developed for this study. One item assesses participants' perceived knowledge of mental health, rated on a five-point scale from very poor to excellent. A second item assesses participants' confidence in their ability to identify students with psychosocial or mental health difficulties, rated on a five-point scale from not at all confident to extremely confident. Higher scores indicate greater self-rated knowledge and confidence. Participants may also select prefer not to answer.
Time frame
baseline (T0); after the second training session (approximately 1 week after baseline)/after ending of the asynchronous training (T1); post-intervention at 2-4 weeks (T2); 1-month follow-up (T3)4
Changes in helping behaviors toward students
Assessed using a retrospective self-report scale developed to capture mental health-related helping behaviors toward students ("Helping Behaviors Scale"), including identifying emotional distress, providing support, and facilitating referral to appropriate services. The scale includes five items describing specific helping behaviors. Each item is rated as yes, no, or does not apply. Higher endorsement indicates a greater number of supportive actions taken by the respondent in the past week.
Time frame
Baseline (T0) to after the second training session (approximately 1 week after baseline)/after ending of the asynchronous training (T1); Baseline (T0) to post-intervention at 2-4 weeks (T2); Baseline (T0) to 1-month follow-up (T3)Locations
Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre
Lead sponsor
Child Mind Institute
Collaborator
Secretaria da Educação do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (SEDUC-RS)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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