Impact of a Single School-Based Intervention for COVID-19 on Improving Mental Health

An underlying concern about the COVID-19 pandemic is that the mental health of children will decline. The present study aimed to investigate whether a single school-based intervention, including self-monitoring and psychoeducation for COVID-19, effectively achieved its aim to promote children’s mental health. The study was conducted in a junior high school. We assigned the third grade as the intervention group, second grade as the announcement group, and first grade, the control group. We hypothesized that the intervention group would experience improved mental health and reduced fear of COVID-19, when compared to the announcement and control groups. Interaction effects were observed only for depression, indicating a significant intervention effect in the intervention group. These findings suggest that a single school-based intervention that includes self-monitoring and psychoeducation for COVID-19 can help to improve children’s mental health. It is suggested that school-based interventions that intend to raise children's awareness of COVID-19 promote healthy development and adaptation within the school.