Co-design, agency, and challenge: Understanding the experiences of educators engaged in the delivery of mental health promotion programs involving boys and young men in Australia
1
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
2
The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
3
College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Northern Territory, Australia
4
SHAPE Research Centre, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia
5
Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1061
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Globally, rates of mental ill health and suicide among adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) are unacceptably high. Men’s mental health experts are increasingly calling for gender-sensitive and gender-transformative programs to meet the specific mental health needs of ABYM, particularly those that embrace healthy, progressive and expansive concepts of masculinities. With the majority of mental illnesses emerging in adolescence, secondary schools are uniquely positioned to develop and implement innovative mental health promotion strategies and programs. Unfortunately, for the most part, school-based mental health programs remain almost exclusively gender-neutral, with limited research capturing how educators can best develop and implement effective health and well-being education.
METHODS:
This research draws on 12 semi-structured interviews with school well-being leaders working in single-sex boys’ schools in Australia. The participants committed to a well-being audit capturing their efforts and what they saw as the strengths and weaknesses of mental health programs delivered to ABYM. A thematic analysis captured some of the key barriers to effectively addressing the well-being of boys and young men in schools.
RESULTS:
In examining the efforts of well-being leaders in boys' schools, we identified four key insights: 1) the evolving nature of the mental health and well-being of ABYM in reference to exposure to new gender pressures amplified through access to digital content; 2) the central role of educator agency and efforts to influence whole-school culture over one-off lesson-based programs; 3) the use of relational and strengths-based frameworks to get ABYM to reflect on the relationship between healthy masculinities and their well-being; and 4) the importance of co-designed mental health education with ABYM.
CONCLUSIONS:
Together, these findings underscore the strategic importance of empowering well-being educators in schools to develop localised, gender-transformative practices focused on improving the mental health of ABYM.
Globally, rates of mental ill health and suicide among adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) are unacceptably high. Men’s mental health experts are increasingly calling for gender-sensitive and gender-transformative programs to meet the specific mental health needs of ABYM, particularly those that embrace healthy, progressive and expansive concepts of masculinities. With the majority of mental illnesses emerging in adolescence, secondary schools are uniquely positioned to develop and implement innovative mental health promotion strategies and programs. Unfortunately, for the most part, school-based mental health programs remain almost exclusively gender-neutral, with limited research capturing how educators can best develop and implement effective health and well-being education.
METHODS:
This research draws on 12 semi-structured interviews with school well-being leaders working in single-sex boys’ schools in Australia. The participants committed to a well-being audit capturing their efforts and what they saw as the strengths and weaknesses of mental health programs delivered to ABYM. A thematic analysis captured some of the key barriers to effectively addressing the well-being of boys and young men in schools.
RESULTS:
In examining the efforts of well-being leaders in boys' schools, we identified four key insights: 1) the evolving nature of the mental health and well-being of ABYM in reference to exposure to new gender pressures amplified through access to digital content; 2) the central role of educator agency and efforts to influence whole-school culture over one-off lesson-based programs; 3) the use of relational and strengths-based frameworks to get ABYM to reflect on the relationship between healthy masculinities and their well-being; and 4) the importance of co-designed mental health education with ABYM.
CONCLUSIONS:
Together, these findings underscore the strategic importance of empowering well-being educators in schools to develop localised, gender-transformative practices focused on improving the mental health of ABYM.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
