The feasibility of developing an online teacher training program for a neuroscience-informed mental health intervention for Japanese students

Background: Neuroscience-informed mental health intervention involves integrating neuroscientific knowledge into mental health interventions, showing potential in effectively enhancing children's mental health. Online platforms are deemed suitable for teaching these strategies to Japanese teachers, especially, under the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, there is a lack of research investigating the appropriateness, feasibility, learning needs and goals to develop an online teacher training program focuses on teaching neuroscience-informed mental health intervention. Methods Employing a single-group survey design, this study sought to fill the research gap by conducting surveys and interviews to 20 teachers and 245 students in a Japanese primary school. This study adopted a mixed-method approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data collection from students and teachers. Results Quantitative analysis of student surveys revealed that nearly 30% of students had low subjective well-being and high emotional distress. Thematic analysis of teacher interviews revealed the challenges faced by Japanese educators in delivering effective mental health support, partly attributed to a lack of training in mental health intervention. Approximately 80% of teachers expressed strong or moderate interest in learning about neuroscience-informed mental health intervention. These findings supported the appropriateness and feasibility of an online teacher training program in this domain. Thematic analysis of teacher interviews also revealed the importance of practicality, providing teachers with easily deployable intervention resources, and delivering comprehensive instruction in both intervention and prevention strategies. The analysis also suggested that a format consisting of 6-10 concise, self-paced learning modules, complemented by a brief online interactive session, would be suitable for the online teacher training program focused on teaching neuroscience-informed mental health intervention. Conclusions Future research should focus on developing and evaluating an online teacher training program dedicated to delivering neuroscience-informed mental health intervention. Such a program holds promise for enhancing the mental health of children, integrating the findings from this study.