Effectiveness of a School-based Workshop Promoting Mental Health on Adolescents Mental Health Literacy and Emotional Self-Efficacy

Theoretical background: Mental health crisis in adolescents is a growing concern in society and research. Because of the high prevalence of mental disorders during adolescence and the long waiting times for access to therapeutic services, low-threshold, school-based prevention programs are needed that empower adolescents to actively advocate for their mental health. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a one-day school-based mental health workshop on mental health literacy (MHL) and emotional self-efficacy (ESE) within a quasi-randomized delayed cross-over design. Method: Data was collected from 868 students (age: 14-17 years, 39.3% female) in six schools between March 2024 and February 2025 at three data assessment points. Participants in the intervention group (n1 = 365 (M₁ = 14.8 (0.86), 54.8% female) participated in a one-day school-based mental health workshop provided by the organization Kopfsachen e.V. between the baseline-assessment (T0), 2-3 weeks before the workshop and the post-assessment (T1) directly after the workshop. There was a follow-up assessment (T2) around six months after the baseline (T0). Participants in the waitlist-control group (n2 = 503 (M₂ = 15.0(0.85)) participated at all three assessments and received the workshop after the follow-up assessment (T2). Results: The workshop had significant short-term effects (T0-T1) on all MHL and one ESE variable within the overall group comparison, with the strongest effect on professional help-seeking-intentions (β = 0.42, p <.001, η²ₚ = .04). However, these effects were not sustained until the follow-up assessment (T3). Explorative Exploratory analyses revealed significant moderating effects of gender, age, personal experience, circumstantial experience, and personal relevance. Qualitative data revealed that the needs and expectations of the adolescents before the workshop largely matched to their take-home messages after the workshop. Conclusions: This study confirms the short-term effectiveness of a one-day school-based mental health workshop on adolescents’ MHL and ESE. Fading effects over time underscore the need for tailored interventions, booster sessions, and continued research to ensure sustainable long-term impact.