The impact of a school-based positive psychology programme on state wellbeing in Irish school children: A cluster randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Childhood into early adolescence is a critical developmental period for mental health, with growing evidence that universal school-based wellbeing interventions can improve children’s mental health outcomes, with lifelong benefits.

              The A Lust for Life (ALFL) school-based positive psychology intervention is widely implemented in Ireland, with some evidence of benefits. This cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ALFL programme for children in fifth and sixth class grades, aged 9-13 years, using a measure of state wellbeing as the primary outcome variable, with trait measures of wellbeing, depression and anxiety as secondary outcome variables, building on previous research studies. Participants were 402 children, recruited from 9 schools, randomly allocated to a 10-week ALFL programme group (n = 180) or 10-week waiting list control group (n = 222). Outcome measures were administered pre and post intervention/waiting time. The trial showed that the ALFL schools programme led to small improvements in state wellbeing arising from using behavioural skills learned on the ALFL programme (d = 0.18, p = .034), and an increase in the use of skills learnt on the programme to promote state wellbeing (d = 0.27, p = .001), but no significant improvements in measures of trait wellbeing, anxiety or depression. This study’s use of a state wellbeing measure and its consideration of children’s real-world use of skills learnt, which are central to the evaluated intervention’s theory of change, constitute an original contribution to the research base.