Mental health supports reduced substance abuse: Study

Mental health services are becoming more accessible for students within schools. CTV Windsor’s Ricardo Veneza has more.

A new study suggests even modest mental health prevention programming can yield significant results for young people.

In Montreal, a five-year study involving nearly 4,000 students found those taking part in two 90-minute sessions were less likely to develop substance abuse disorders compared to those who did not take part.

“It’s really worthwhile investing in prevention and substance use prevention in the schools,” said Sherry Stewart, one of the study leads, clinical psychologist, and researcher at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

The study was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry on Jan. 15 and focused on the application of the PreVenture program which employs two workshops consisting of up to 12 students and a cognitive-behavioural approach to help build coping skills based on specific personality traits.

Results showed reduced rates of substance abuse with growth slowed by 35 per cent and in some cases, that reduction was as much as 80 per cent.

“The idea is to give them these skills and help them develop the skills before they enter into this risky period of adolescence,” said Patricia Conrod, the other study lead, clinical psychologist, and researcher at the University of Montreal.

The main findings of the study add to the evidence of the efficacy of mental health prevention programming in school and its benefits, with the study indicating results were consistent with findings from five previous randomized trials of school-based personality-targeted interventions.

“The prevention program targets impulsive behaviors and traits,” said Conrod.

“It targets the tendency to experience a lot of distress when anxious. It targets traits that are associated with susceptibility to depression and hopelessness and loneliness.”

While the study focused on the issue of substance use among the student population, both Conrod and Stewart believe the PreVenture approach could be retooled to tackle other pertinent problems, like disordered eating or anxiety.

“We do have data on how this intervention affects some other mental health difficulties besides substance use,” said Stewart.

“For example, the kids who get the anxiety intervention are less likely to experience panic attacks. So, they’re learning coping strategies that can help them manage their anxiety, so it doesn’t spiral into panic.”

The personality traits the PreVenture program targeted include negative thinking, impulsivity, sensation seeking, and anxiety sensitivity.

Windsor-Essex Supports

The study adds to the growing evidence of the benefits of mental health programming, even in limited amounts.

It’s a trend school boards in Windsor-Essex are fully following.

“It isn’t these big, massive initiatives, right? It’s breaking it down into little pieces and really helping out those students to take that information and use that transfer of learning,” said Danielle Campo, the mental health lead for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB).

While the PreVenture program has been rolled out across five provinces and 12 states, it has not been adopted in Windsor-Essex as of yet.

WECDSB uses other tools to “meet students where they’re at”, said Campo, which include the platform Jack.org and, for the first time, each of the district’s eight high schools has a dedicated psychotherapist.

“A lot of what we do is helping students find those community resources and connect to the right [group],” said Campo.

“We have amazing partnerships with the community and we’re so thankful for that.”

The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) also works with community groups and makes referrals where it deems necessary.

The board has had dedicated social workers as part of its approach to mental health supports in its schools for the better part of the last 10 years as well.

“We know just how important mental health is,” said Joe Bell, a superintendent focused on student well-being.

“It’s a key aspect of overall health. It significantly influences how young people, how students, how they interact with others, how they manage stress, how they make decisions.”

Bell said there are currently 16 social workers assigned to its schools.

He added the board works with School Mental Health Ontario to regularly assess evidence-based programming that could add or enhance the current approach.

The evolving nature of classrooms and the school setting, which has prompted advocates to flag rising behavioural challenges and spikes in violence are challenges Bell stresses can complicate understanding student behaviour.

But he is steadfast in his belief and the growing body of evidence, focusing on mental health literacy and supports, can make a positive difference in creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

“Students being aware of what mental health is and how they can support their mental health in developing strategies to cope with the stressors of life is extremely important for us to support them in their learning,” said Bell.

Amid calls from teachers’ unions for more supports, the province has previously committed $24 million in a bid to reduce the risk of violence in schools and create a safe school environment.