Research and partnerships with schools

Purpose Despite the quantity of research on child and adolescent mental health being done in schools, little out- put has focused on the practical aspects of recruiting schools and students into a study. Furthermore, there is limited knowledge on how to develop and sustain pro- ductive and mutually beneficial partnerships with schools after the project finishes. Methods A large study examining prevalence of mental health problems in young people involving nine schools is used as an example for the procedure of recruitment and carrying out a research project, while developing and sustaining partnerships with schools. Results While recruiting the schools, a three-stage model was developed that corresponded closely to the school’s needs and existing demands. The suggested procedure for the study, thus, closely reflected the varying existing cul- tures of participating schools. Partnerships, developed as a result of the project, were used in developing further pro- jects and interventions for promoting good mental health in schools. Conclusions Rather than a blanket research recruitment and procedural approach with an end to school involve- ment at the end of the project, the paper advocates for a deeper understanding of the schools’ internal culture for improved recruitment and study outcomes. Developed partnerships, when sustained past the completion of research, prove to be a useful tool in applying the findings in promoting good mental health in schools and continuing research further.