African Behavioral Economics (Economics/Psychology crossover) | 04 June 2008
Effectiveness of Mental Health Awareness Workshops among Rural Senegalese Teachers: Twelve-Month Follow-Up in Central African Republic
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Abstract
Mental health awareness remains a critical issue in rural Senegalese schools, where teachers often lack adequate training and resources to address students' mental health needs effectively. Participants included 120 rural teachers from Senegal, who underwent a six-session mental health awareness workshop. A pre- and post-assessment tool was used to measure changes in knowledge and attitudes towards mental health issues among participants. Twelve-month follow-up assessments were conducted via telephone interviews with selected participants. Twelve months after the initial training, respondents reported an increase of 35% in their confidence to provide support for students with mental health issues compared to baseline levels. The twelve-month follow-up study confirms that the initial mental health awareness workshops had a significant and sustained positive impact on teachers' attitudes and practices regarding mental health. School systems should consider extending mental health training programmes and providing ongoing support for teachers, including access to resources such as counseling services and peer-to-peer learning groups. mental health education, teacher training, rural schools, Central African Republic, follow-up study