1. What data in particular will be shared?
   Response - All of the individual participant data collected during the trial, after de-identification.
   


2. What additional supporting information will be shared?
   Response -  Study Protocol
   Response -  Statistical Analysis Plan
   Response - Informed Consent Form
   Response - Clinical Study Report
   
   
3. Who will be able to view these files?
   Response - Researchers whose proposed use of the data has been approved by an independent review committee identified for this purpose.
   


4. For what types of analyses will this data be available?
   Response - To achieve aims in the approved proposal.
   


5. By what mechanism will data be made available?
   Response - Proposals should be directed to [mr.velprashanth@gmail.com].
   


6. For how long will this data be available start date provided 01-10-2027 and end date provided 01-10-2030?
   Response - Beginning 9 months and ending 36 months following article publication.
   


7. Any URL or additional information regarding plan/policy for sharing IPD? 
   Additional Information - NIL

The proposed study titled Utility of Short Experiential Teaching Methods for School Mental Health Awareness Program among Adolescents is designed as a quasi experimental pilot investigation to explore effective ways to promote mental health literacy and reduce stigma among school students in India. Awareness about child and adolescent mental health remains limited in many parts of India particularly in rural and underserved areas where existing district mental health programs focus mainly on adult populations. Schools are the most influential and accessible institutions in a young person’s life and therefore serve as ideal platforms for spreading awareness. However there is no standardized school mental health program across Indian states. Most available interventions depend on didactic lectures which improve factual understanding but rarely succeed in changing deeper attitudes or reducing stigma. This proposal attempts to test whether brief experiential teaching methods can create meaningful shifts in adolescent attitudes toward mental health when compared with traditional lecture based approaches.

The primary aim of the study is to evaluate whether short experiential teaching methods can produce a significant change in adolescents attitudes toward mental illness and mental fitness compared with standard didactic teaching. The null hypothesis states that short duration experiential teaching does not significantly influence attitudes. The main objectives are to measure baseline attitudes toward stigma and mental fitness and to compare pre and post intervention changes across both teaching modalities. This will help determine if experiential learning can enhance empathy understanding and acceptance among students.

A review of the literature demonstrates that mental health awareness among youth is hindered by multiple barriers such as stigma gender bias absenteeism and lack of trained facilitators. While didactic methods are easy to organize and deliver they often fail to produce emotional engagement. Experiential learning approaches emphasize active participation reflection and peer interaction thereby promoting internalization of positive mental health attitudes. Global studies suggest that experiential programs yield better long term outcomes in reducing stigma and encouraging help seeking behavior. The proposed project adapts these principles into a brief format suitable for Indian rural schools and tests their feasibility.

The study design is quasi experimental and community based. It will be conducted in rural and semi urban schools around Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital Puducherry. The sample will consist of eighty students from grades nine and ten aged between thirteen and sixteen years. Participants will be divided into two groups of forty each one receiving the didactic method and the other receiving experiential training. Sampling will follow a non probability purposive approach with random assignment between groups. Inclusion criteria include students aged fourteen to fifteen years who provide assent with parental consent. Students previously exposed to structured mental health programs or those with neurodevelopmental or sensory impairments will be excluded. The study will be completed over a period of six months.

The school mental health awareness sessions will address two central themes stigma toward mental illness and the importance of mental fitness. Both groups will receive a two hour training session. The didactic arm will consist of a structured forty slide PowerPoint lecture with real life examples and an interactive question and answer session. The experiential arm will use group activities modeled on the ten WHO life skills followed by reflective discussions and student led presentations. These activities are intended to promote self awareness empathy and interpersonal effectiveness. Attitudes will be measured using a ten item semi qualitative Likert scale questionnaire in English and Tamil administered before and after the session.

Data collection will be conducted by a psychiatry team comprising two faculty members and two residents assisted by teachers and student volunteers. All forms will be pre coded and serial numbered to maintain consistency. After data collection the forms will be securely transferred to an independent faculty member for data entry and analysis to minimize bias. The main categorical variables include age gender class and teaching method while ordinal variables will consist of the Likert scale responses. Statistical analysis will include descriptive statistics for socio demographic factors the Wilcoxon signed rank test for within group comparison the chi square test for gender differences and measures of central tendency such as median and mode for summarizing responses.

Potential biases include interviewer bias and reporting bias. Interviewer bias will be controlled through standardized training and scripts to ensure uniform delivery of content. Reporting bias will be minimized by collecting responses anonymously and emphasizing non judgmental participation. Separation of teaching and data entry roles further strengthens internal validity.

The expected outcomes of this pilot project are to establish baseline levels of mental health awareness and to compare the effectiveness of experiential and didactic methods in changing student attitudes. The study will yield evidence on whether experiential strategies can be implemented efficiently within limited time and resources. It will also provide insight into designing culturally relevant school mental health programs that focus on engagement rather than rote learning. Results from this study could inform state and national level education and health policy regarding the inclusion of life skills based experiential modules in school curricula.

In conclusion the study proposes a practical and contextually sensitive approach to improving mental health awareness among adolescents using experiential learning. The quasi experimental design will allow comparison of two teaching styles within realistic school conditions. If proven effective the experiential model can be scaled and incorporated into existing district mental health frameworks enabling low cost sustainable mental health education across Indian schools. This initiative aligns with the goal of integrating mental health promotion into the broader educational system ensuring early sensitization and long term attitudinal change in young populations.