Study finds structured programmes improve mental health in African schools

A recent study by the Education and Youth Empowerment research team reveals that African schools are strategically positioned to support children’s mental health effectively. The research, which reviewed 122 scholarly studies, found promising evidence that brief, structured programmes teaching coping, emotional, and problem-solving skills can reduce depression and anxiety symptoms among children and adolescents when delivered by trained non-specialists.

The study highlights that counselling alone is not enough to prevent mental health issues or address the broader social and familial conditions contributing to learners’ distress. Teachers play a vital role in promoting wellbeing and recognizing distress signs but should not be expected to diagnose or treat mental health conditions.

Importantly, mental health support in schools needs to be integrated into a wider system involving families, communities, health services, and child-protection systems rather than relying on isolated interventions like counselling rooms or one-off programmes.

Most evidence comes from countries such as Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya, with limited data from francophone and lusophone Africa, as well as rural, remote, pastoralist, and conflict-affected settings. This gap indicates the need for expanded research and tailored interventions across diverse African contexts.