Adoption Rates and Student Engagement in Mental Health First Aid Training Programmes Among Secondary School Teachers in Dakar, Senegal: An African Perspective

{ "background": "Mental health disorders among adolescents are on the rise globally, necessitating effective interventions such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). Secondary school teachers in Dakar, Senegal play a crucial role in providing early support to students with mental health issues.", "purposeandobjectives": "To review adoption rates and student engagement of MHFA training programmes among secondary school teachers in Dakar, focusing on identifying key factors influencing these outcomes.", "methodology": "A mixed-methods approach combining surveys and interviews was employed. Data were collected from 150 randomly selected secondary schools across Dakar using a validated survey instrument.", "findings": "MHFA training adoption rates varied significantly among teachers (42% in urban areas vs. 30% in rural areas). High levels of student engagement correlated with positive teacher feedback and perceived MHFA skills improvement, as indicated by a $r = 0.56 \pm 0.1$ confidence interval for the correlation between training uptake and reported skill enhancement.", "conclusion": "This study highlights significant disparities in MHFA adoption rates and underscores the importance of tailored interventions to enhance student engagement and teacher efficacy.", "recommendations": "Implementing culturally sensitive MHFA programmes, combined with ongoing professional development opportunities, is recommended for promoting mental health literacy among secondary school teachers in Dakar.", "keywords": "Mental Health First Aid, Secondary School Teachers, Student Engagement, Adoption Rates", "contributionstatement": "This review provides a nuanced understanding of MHFA implementation challenges and solutions specific to the Senegalese context." } --- Adoption rates and student engagement in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training programmes among secondary school teachers in Dakar, Senegal are reviewed. A mixed-methods approach using surveys and interviews revealed significant variations in adoption rates between urban and rural areas. High levels of student engagement were correlated with positive teacher feedback and perceived skill enhancement, as indicated by a correlation coefficient $r = 0.56 \pm 0