The transition to high school can be exciting for some, but tricky for others and some may still be experiencing difficulties. We aim to identify risk and protective factors to help make the move to high school smoother for future year 7 students and also develop strategies for teachers to better support transitioning students.
Adolescent Disorder Adjustment Prevalence in Transition to High School (ADAPT-HS) study
What is involved
In this pilot study, students will complete self-report questionnaires about the first year of high school including aspects of physical and mental health. This includes distress (psychological and somatic), anxiousness, attention, social connectedness, sleep, wellbeing, adjustment disorder and executive skills/ functioning. The questionaire will take approximately 30 minutes.
Their parents/caregivers can complete a 10-minute questionnaire about their teenager, including questions about their levels of anxiousness, behaviours and emotions.
Student participants receive a A$20 gift voucher as compensation for their time.
Where
One online appointment after school at your home conducted by research staff at the Thompson Institute.
When
A mutual time is arranged by the research staff, via phone or email with you and your teenager.
Who
Year 7 students (12–13 years) who have not repeated year 7 and their parent/caregiver.
Students with (and without) diagnosed disorders such as ADHD, anxiety and autism are encouraged to participate.
Inclusion criteria
- All students must currently be in grade 7, aged between 12–13.
- Participants (parent/caregivers and students) must be proficient in spoken and written English, and the parent/caregiver is able to provide consent for participation in the study.
Exclusion criteria
- Students who have repeated year 7.
- Students and parents/caregivers who have a major neurological disorder or intellectual disability that may preclude capacity to provide informed consent.
- Students and parents/caregivers who have a major medical illness, or serious mental health disorders (i.e schizophrenia)
Because this project explores the mental health challenges experienced by students, it is our priority to: a) ensure their safety and b) avoid over burdening any student with unnecessary stressors.
If exclusion criteria are met, participants will be unable to participate. Interested parties with questions or who wish to seek further clarity on eligibility are advised in the Research Project Information sheet to reach out to the research team with the details provided.
Re-identifiable data will be stored on UniSC system R-drive (eg. data that is identified with a number ID code rather than personal identifiers such as participant’s names). Access to data containing personal identifiers and contact details will be stored on a UniSC-approved management system that is password protected with limited access. Documents will be kept on record as per relevant legal requirements following publication, after which, any personally identifiable information will be destroyed.
Participants/parents/caregivers will not be named in any reports or publications resulting from the research project, and no document containing their names will leave the research site. Any publications based on the research project will include only pooled results from all the participants/parents/caregivers, so an individual participant/parent/caregiver’s results will not be singled out.
Unless a participant/parent/caregiver requests that their data is withdrawn from the study, their data will be treated the same way as that for any participant/parent/caregiver who completes the study. That is, it will remain confidential, only non-identifiable data will be used for reporting purposes and future analyses, and it will be stored safely for the required length of time as per guidelines in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. If, however, the participant/parent/caregiver requests that their data is withdrawn their re-identifiable data will be retained (confidentially and securely) for the required length of time but will not be included in any analyses.
Immediate risk of harm is low
However, there may be a possibility of discomfort/distress experienced by the student associated with disclosure of distressing experiences or reflecting on personal experiences during completion of the self-report questionnaire. If this occurs the Research Assistant/Researcher will support the student using the study's distress protocol.
If required, the Research Assistant/Researcher will provide resources/services to use if they are experiencing distress and/or would like to speak to a qualified mental health professional. As the parent/caregiver will complete the questionnaire at the same time, they may address any distress experienced by the student.
The adolescent self-report questionnaire requires selection of a box rather than a written response to minimise fatigue after completing all items. If the adolescent experiences fatigue/attention issues the Research Assistant will check in with the student and ensure adequate breaks are included. Disclosure of any mental health disorders and anxiety or attention issues during the recruitment process will inform the Research Assistant/Researcher of possible fatigue for the student during completion of the self-report questionnaire.
Participants will debrief with Research Assistant/Researcher following completion of the assessments and will be provided an opportunity to give feedback on the experience.
As this is a pilot study with year 7 students from Sunshine Coast High Schools/Colleges, findings will be at a group level and their contribution to the field will be acknowledged.
Participants will be advised these findings will support a larger study including other Sunshine Coast Schools/Colleges, as well as Brisbane and rural Victorian schools to develop an easy-to-use framework for teachers and support staff to identify emerging adjustment disorder symptoms and inform an intervention.
The field of psychology, specifically the literature on primary to high school transition may benefit from potential findings as the investigation will provide insight into potential risk and protective factors for emerging adjustment disorder symptoms during the transition from primary school to high school. Furthermore, it will provide the groundwork for further longitudinal studies examining these factors over the years pre and post high school transition. Ultimately allowing for the development of strategies for parents, teachers and schools to help mitigate or manage distress during the transition from primary to high school.