First aid for mental health problems in children and adolescents: Development of an evidence-based guideline

24/02/26

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new article in the International Journal of First Aid Education. In this paper, we describe how the concept of first aid for mental health problems was tailored specifically to children and adolescents and how we developed an evidence-based guideline for creators of educational initiatives to teach children how to support their peers.

We systematically collected the evidence on mental health risk or protective factors related to peer interaction and on educational initiatives for children or adolescents targeting social skills and mental health. Based on the inclusion of 155 observational studies and 11 systematic reviews, we drafted recommendations and sought input from a panel of 23 stakeholders using a modified Delphi consensus method. The panel reached consensus for 112 recommendations, which constitute an evidence-based guideline for developing educational initiatives on psychosocial support.

This guideline provides practical guidance on how to teach emotional and social support in an age-appropriate way. Based on the guideline, our operational services developed didactic materials for children of 8-10 years: a board game for use in schools, an audio story designed for families, and a story-based interactive game for leisure settings.

Together, these materials form part of the “Eerste hulp bij moeilijke gevoelens” (“First aid for difficult feelings”) package. All materials are freely available for download (in Dutch) via the website of the Belgian Red Cross-Flanders.