(PS3-76) Wellness Clubs: Early Successes from A Youth-Driven Approach to Affirming and Inclusive Mental Health Promotion in Schools

Schools are well-established as a primary setting in which adolescents receive mental health services. Increasingly, they are attending to mental health prevention through multi-tiered systems of support. Student-driven programs have emerged as a promising approach to creating accessible and appealing interventions that promote social and emotional skill-building, well-being, and connectedness. This study evaluates the early-stage acceptability, feasibility and outcomes of a student-driven, inclusive mental health awareness and promotion program in a large, diverse urban school district during the 2024-2025 school year. Wellness Clubs aim to foster belonging, connectedness, and prosocial behavior among middle and high school students to improve school climate and reduce risk behaviors. In the current academic year, 14 clubs are active across 13 schools, serving 447 students. Wellness Clubs are open to all and are shaped by student input; participants complete an interest survey before joining, which facilitators use to tailor the club’s focus to each school’s needs.
A mixed-methods survey captured baseline and mid-year data on acceptability, feasibility, and adolescent well-being from students and club facilitators. An end-of-year survey will be completed in the spring. Of the 116 students with both baseline and midpoint data, 75% were female, with 68.1% in grades 5-8 and 31.9% in high school. The sample was diverse (29.3% Asian American, 26.7% Latinx, 17.2% Black, 16.4% White, 6% Other/Multiracial). Measures included the Harvard “Flourish” Measure, School Connectedness Scale, Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (Prosocial Scale), and the PROMIS Psychological Stress Experiences questionnaire.
At baseline, over 60% of students prioritized learning about social skills, mindfulness, stress reduction, coping strategies, and communication. Preliminary analysis of club topics provided by facilitators reflected that these interests were met. Wellness Club participants were well connected to their school community (M = 17.78, SD = 3.30), reported higher than average stress (M = 12.16, SD = 3.67), and had prosocial skills in the typical range (M = 8.43, SD = 1.62). On the mid-year survey, students rated the clubs favorably on a five-point scale (M = 4.69, SD = 0.58) and were very likely to recommend them to a peer (M = 4.51, SD = 0.75).
Additional analyses will examine student participation, engagement, and demographic factors influencing social-emotional well-being outcomes across the three survey time points. Direct observation data, facilitator reports, and qualitative data from student interviews will be analyzed to assess the utility of different club formats, identify student-driven and affirming components, and evaluate alignment with evidence-based practices. Qualitative analysis will further contextualize pre to post survey findings related to attendance, social-emotional outcomes, satisfaction, and demographic differences. This study highlights the potential for school-based, student-driven group interventions to promote mental health equity by reaching a broader and more diverse audience than clinical models alone.