Development and Impact Evaluation of a Mental Health Curriculum for Primary School Teachers in Malawi: An African Perspective

The prevalence of mental health disorders among children in Malawi is increasing, highlighting a critical need for improved education and training on mental health. The study employed a mixed-method approach combining qualitative interviews with quantitative survey data to assess teacher knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding mental health education. Teachers demonstrated significant improvement in their understanding of mental health concepts after curriculum training (p < 0.05), but there was variability in implementation across different schools. The curriculum showed promise in enhancing teachers' knowledge about mental health, though consistent and widespread adoption remains a challenge. Further research should focus on fostering sustainable teacher behaviour change through supportive school environments and ongoing professional development opportunities. Mental Health Curriculum, Primary School Teachers, Malawi, Teacher Training Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.