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Healthcare
Special Issues
Promoting Mental Health in School and Community Settings
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Promoting Mental Health in School and Community Settings

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 13524

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alex Chi-Keung Chan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Arts and Humanities, Tung Wah College, Mongkok, Hong Kong
Interests: digital mental health; cyberpsychology; positive education; positive psychology (meaning in life and self-compassion); positive technologies; psychology of religion and spirituality; social and emotional competence
Dr. Raymond Chi-fai Chui

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, North Point, Hong Kong
Interests: cyberpsychology; positive psychology; employment; globalization; immigrant issues; transnationalism; youth well-being
Dr. Winnie Wing-yan Yuen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Counseling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, North Point, Hong Kong
Interests: psychology; positive youth development; mental wellbeing; self-compassion; strengths-based intervention; recovery model; resilience; trauma-informed care
Dr. P. F. Jonah Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma, WA 98402, USA
Interests: positive psychology (e.g., well-being, meaning and purpose in life, hope, character strengths, and agency); Asian American mental health; diversity and multicultural counseling
Dr. Anson Chui Yan Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Nursing, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong
Interests: behavioural addiction; psychosocial wellbeing; mindfulness-based intervention

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mental health is critically important for human development, but there are insufficient timely services and an inadequate number of professionals to respond to mental health needs worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a global challenge for collective mental health, creating an even bigger gap between needs and responses. From an ecological perspective, schools and communities have been recognized as important settings for mental health promotion and prevention. Although various school- and community-centric approaches, strategies, interventions and services have been developed to promote mental health across cultures and lifespans, it is still unclear what works and what actions and resources should be prioritized in this school- and community-based mental health promotion. The increasing number of tragic events within schools and communities has also raised public concerns about the effectiveness and efficacy of mental health promotion in school and community settings. Furthermore, whether these school- and community-based mental health promotions are culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate and group-specific also requires more rigorous investigation.  

In this context, this Special Issue is soliciting manuscripts addressing topics related to the policies, initiatives, approaches, strategies and interventions designed to promote mental health in school and community settings. We welcome original articles and reviews encompassing these topics, as well as evaluating their effectiveness, efficacy and sustainability. Papers focusing on various aspects of promoting mental health in school and community settings, such as research, education, policy and advanced practice, are of particular interest. Papers seeking to explore the knowledge and perceptions of stakeholders about promotion, prediction, and prevention of mental health in school and community settings will also be considered. We appreciate papers that consider the roles of engaging various stakeholders at different levels in co-developing mental health promotion programs and platforms in school and community settings, as well as papers that focus on equipping, empowering and transforming mental health professionals, school and community leaders and practitioners, and target users in co-creating stigma-free school and community environments. Additionally, papers that illustrate culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate international contexts are of relevance to this Special Issue.

This Special Issue aims to provide an updated picture of the current and newly developed policies, initiatives, approaches, strategies and interventions designed for promoting mental health in school and community settings.  Effective and innovative school- and community-based mental health promotions are critically important to address the mental health crisis and fill in the service gaps at both local and global levels, with widespread effects on healthcare services, healthcare professionals’ development, stakeholders’ capacity building, user-centered services, students and community wellbeing.

Prof. Dr. Alex Chi-Keung Chan
Dr. Raymond Chi-fai Chui
Dr. Winnie Wing-yan Yuen
Dr. P. F. Jonah Li
Dr. Anson Chui Yan Tang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mental health
  • school
  • community
  • research
  • intervention
  • practice
  • stigma-free
  • stakeholders
  • culturally sensitive
  • developmentally appropriate

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

41 pages, 1586 KB  
Article
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a School-Based Mental Health Training Programme: The Transformative, Resilient, Youth-Led (TRY) Gym
by Wai-Chung Chung, Fan Jiang, Yin Ling Beryl Fok, Cheung Ying Chiu, Winnie Wing Yan Yuen, Josephine Wing-Fun Fung, Anson Chui Yan Tang, Po Fai Jonah Li, Raymond Chi-Fai Chui and Chi-Keung Chan
Healthcare 2026, 14(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14010009 (registering DOI) - 19 Dec 2025
Viewed by 156
Abstract
Background: The Transformative, Resilient, and Youth-Led/Driven (TRY) Gym, a school-based co-creative mental health training programme, is grounded in the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach. It seeks to improve adolescents’ mental health and well-being by strengthening their resilience and competence. Additionally, it prepares [...] Read more.
Background: The Transformative, Resilient, and Youth-Led/Driven (TRY) Gym, a school-based co-creative mental health training programme, is grounded in the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach. It seeks to improve adolescents’ mental health and well-being by strengthening their resilience and competence. Additionally, it prepares them to deliver peer-led mental health activities, promoting mental wellness and fostering a stigma-free, supportive environment. Methods: This study evaluated the programme using a mixed-method design. In total, 94 students from eight secondary schools in Hong Kong were recruited, with 80 participating in the evaluation. Results: Five outcomes showed significant improvements from baseline to the post-implementation phase, including social competence, cognitive competence, emotional competence, resilience, and mental well-being. Common features were identified across interviews, which may possibly account for the significant results and participants’ improved mental health. Conclusions: The TRY Gym programme’s fidelity was demonstrated by its completion, which included high participant responsiveness, and a co-creative and youth-driven approach in the project. In addition, the positive outcomes of the programme underscore its effectiveness in improving mental health among adolescents by imparting mental health knowledge and providing opportunities for participants to apply learnt techniques in everyday life situations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Mental Health in School and Community Settings)
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14 pages, 415 KB  
Article
The Path from Depressive Symptoms to Subjective Well-Being Among Korean Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mediating Roles of Housing Satisfaction, Social Capital, Future Achievement Readiness, and Occupational Hazards
by Miyoung Kwon and Myongsun Cho
Healthcare 2025, 13(24), 3189; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13243189 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 375
Abstract
Background: Recent economic instability and social isolation have increased mental health vulnerabilities among young adults, highlighting the need to clarify how multiple contextual factors shape their subjective well-being. This study explored the relationship between depressive symptoms and subjective well-being among Korean young adults. [...] Read more.
Background: Recent economic instability and social isolation have increased mental health vulnerabilities among young adults, highlighting the need to clarify how multiple contextual factors shape their subjective well-being. This study explored the relationship between depressive symptoms and subjective well-being among Korean young adults. It also investigated the mediating effects of housing satisfaction, social capital, occupational hazards, and future achievement readiness on this relationship. Methods: A parallel mediation model was used to analyze the mediating effects of housing satisfaction, social capital, future achievement readiness, and occupational hazards on the relationship between depressive symptoms and subjective well-being. The model examined direct and indirect pathways to determine the extent to which these factors influence subjective well-being in young adults. Results: Depressive symptoms were associated with reduced housing satisfaction, social capital, and future achievement readiness, as well as increased exposure to occupational hazards. All four variable associations between depressive symptoms and subjective well-being, suggesting that multiple structural and psychosocial conditions jointly shape young adults’ subjective well-being. Conclusions: The findings suggest that conventional mental health services alone may be insufficient. A multifaceted approach—including housing welfare policies, social connection support, employment and adjustment programs, and initiatives that enhance future preparedness—may help mitigate the negative effects of depressive symptoms and improve subjective well-being among young adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Mental Health in School and Community Settings)
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19 pages, 1745 KB  
Article
Paths of Suicidal Ideation Identification and Suicidal Behavior Intervention: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Chinese Young People
by Yaping Xin, Xuanyuan Chen and Dan Li
Healthcare 2025, 13(23), 3128; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13233128 - 1 Dec 2025
Viewed by 407
Abstract
Objective: This study examines pathways for suicide ideation identification and suicidal behavior intervention among Chinese young adults. Methods: It used qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to analyze the cases of 47 Chinese young people (aged 18–28) with suicidal experiences. The outcome variables are suicide [...] Read more.
Objective: This study examines pathways for suicide ideation identification and suicidal behavior intervention among Chinese young adults. Methods: It used qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to analyze the cases of 47 Chinese young people (aged 18–28) with suicidal experiences. The outcome variables are suicide ideation identification and suicidal behavior intervention, and condition variables include psychological disorders, suicidal history, suicidal communication, suicidal time, suicidal location, suicidal methods, family support, peer support, and school support. Results: There are two successful identification pathways and five effective intervention pathways, contrasted with four failed identification pathways and one failed intervention pattern. These results reveal that continuous supervision of individuals with psychological disorders and multi-group participation in intervention are important to decrease the suicide risk of Chinese young people. Meanwhile, a lack of proactive identification of individuals without warning signals, insufficient attention from families and communities to young people with psychological disorders, and inadequate physical limitations on fatal suicidal behaviors are major risk factors. Conclusions: This study highlights the measures of strengthening continuous attention to suicide signals among high-risk youth groups, limiting lethal suicide methods, promoting network monitoring and suicide risk warning, increasing psychological services in the community, and improving the collaborative synergy of peers, families, and schools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Mental Health in School and Community Settings)
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14 pages, 254 KB  
Article
The Effect of Applied Dance Therapy on Life Satisfaction and Fear of Happiness Among Turkish Board High School Students
by Neşe Genç, Zarife Taştan, Abdullah Demirli, Gülsüm Yılmaz, Burcu Güvendi, Selin Biçer Baikoğlu, Sevim Güllü and Cemre Can Akkaya
Healthcare 2025, 13(4), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13040392 - 11 Feb 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2772
Abstract
Background/Objectives: In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of a 12-week dance (Zumba) performance on the fear of happiness and life satisfaction perceptions of high school students studying at boarding school. Methods: The sample group of this study consisted of high [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of a 12-week dance (Zumba) performance on the fear of happiness and life satisfaction perceptions of high school students studying at boarding school. Methods: The sample group of this study consisted of high school students staying in the school dormitory in the 2022–2023 academic year. A total of 82 students between the ages of 15 and 17, selected by the convenience sampling method, participated in the study, and 41 of the students were selected as the experimental group and 41 as the control group. The Fear of Happiness Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used in the study. The measurement tools were administered as a pre-test one week before the dance program started and as a post-test one week after the end of the program. Two-way ANOVA for mixed measures was applied to determine whether the fear of happiness and life satisfaction pre-test scores were statistically significantly different between the experimental and control groups and to compare the pre-test and post-test difference scores. Results: As a result of the research, it was concluded that the fear of happiness of the students who participated in the dance activity decreased, and their life satisfaction levels increased. These findings emphasize that dance can be an important resource that can increase the psychological well-being of young people. Conclusions: As a result, it can be said that the 12-week dance activity positively affected students’ fear of happiness and life satisfaction perceptions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Mental Health in School and Community Settings)
20 pages, 1428 KB  
Article
School Bullying, Bystander Behavior, and Mental Health among Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Coping Styles
by Xu Wang, Leiyu Shi, Yunzhi Ding, Bowen Liu, Hongbao Chen, Wei Zhou, Renjie Yu, Peiyun Zhang, Xin Huang, Yong Yang and Zhijun Wu
Healthcare 2024, 12(17), 1738; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12171738 - 31 Aug 2024
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7859
Abstract
While numerous studies have revealed the impact of different bullying behaviors, such as victimization and perpetration, on the psychological development of adolescents, the exploration of the correlates of positive/negative bystander behaviors and their potential underlying mechanisms remains scarce in China. The present study [...] Read more.
While numerous studies have revealed the impact of different bullying behaviors, such as victimization and perpetration, on the psychological development of adolescents, the exploration of the correlates of positive/negative bystander behaviors and their potential underlying mechanisms remains scarce in China. The present study aims to compare the relationships between mental health and positive versus negative bystander behavior and to clarify whether self-efficacy and coping styles mediate the relationships between mental health and bullying dynamics. The current study was conducted on 11,734 students from 18 secondary schools in Suzhou, China (Meanage = 15.00, SDage = 1.47; 53.8% boys). The information on bullying victimization, perpetration, positive/negative bystander behaviors, as well as self-efficacy, coping styles and mental health variables (including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, suicide risk), were collected. Negative bystander behavior was positively associated with mental health problems, while positive bystander behavior was negatively associated with these factors. Also, further analysis showed that coping styles and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between different bullying behaviors and mental health outcomes. The results highlighted the comparison of the correlates of positive and negative bystander behaviors, which were comparably crucial to those of victims and perpetrators for prevention and intervention efforts. Promoting adaptive coping styles and self-efficacy to buffer the deleterious psychological consequences of bullying behavior in adolescents was also important. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Mental Health in School and Community Settings)
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