title: A school-based health promotion programme to increase help-seeking for substance use and mental health problems: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: Adolescence is a high-risk time for the development of mental health and substance use problems. However, fewer than one in four 16-24 year-olds with a current disorder access health services, with those experiencing a substance use disorder being the least likely to seek professional help. Research indicates that young people are keeping their problems to themselves or alternatively, turning to peers or trusted adults in their lives for help. These help-seeking preferences highlight the need to build the mental health literacy of adolescents, to ensure that they know when and how to assist themselves and their peers to access support. The MAKINGtheLINK intervention aims to introduce these skills to adolescents within a classroom environment.
  
  
  
  This is a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) with schools as clusters and individual students as participants from 22 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. Schools will be randomly assigned to either the MAKINGtheLINK intervention group or the waitlist control group. All students will complete a self-report questionnaire at baseline, immediately post intervention and 6 and 12 months post baseline. The primary outcome to be assessed is increased help-seeking behaviour (from both formal and informal sources) for alcohol and mental health issues, measured at 12 months post baseline.
  
  
  
  The findings from this research will provide evidence on the effectiveness of the MAKINGtheLINK intervention for teaching school students how to overcome prominent barriers associated with seeking help, as well as how to effectively support their peers. If deemed effective, the MAKINGtheLINK programme will be the first evidence-informed resource that is able to address critical gaps in the knowledge and behaviour of adolescents in relation to help-seeking. It could, therefore, be a valuable resource that could be readily implemented by classroom teachers.
  
  
  
  Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12613000235707 . Registered on 27 February 2013.
authors: Turning Point, Eastern Health, 54-62 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia. dan.lubman@monash.edu.|Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill, VIC, Australia. dan.lubman@monash.edu.
authors: Dan I
authors: DI
authors: Lubman
authors: Turning Point, Eastern Health, 54-62 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.|Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill, VIC, Australia.
authors: Bonita J
authors: BJ
authors: Berridge
authors: Turning Point, Eastern Health, 54-62 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.|Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill, VIC, Australia.
authors: Fiona
authors: F
authors: Blee
authors: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors: Anthony F
authors: AF
authors: Jorm
authors: Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.|Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
authors: Coralie J
authors: CJ
authors: Wilson
authors: Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.|Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
authors: Nicholas B
authors: NB
authors: Allen
authors: Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Travancore School, Travancore, VIC, Australia.|Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Parkvilleᅟ, VIC, Australia.
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: McKay-Brown
authors: Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors: Jenny
authors: J
authors: Proimos
authors: Turning Point, Eastern Health, 54-62 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.|Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Box Hill, VIC, Australia.
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Cheetham
authors: School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
authors: Rory
authors: R
authors: Wolfe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008603:Mental Health; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012107:Research Design; D012572:School Health Services; D057566:Self Report; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D000066608:Underage Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D014739:Victoria
keywords: Alcohol; Health education; Help-seeking; Prevention; Schools; Substance misuse; Wellbeing; Young people