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Mental Health Research: Practical Tips for Teachers and Practitioners to Navigate the Evidence

Psychology in the Classroom

Release Date: 02/11/2026

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More Episodes

...with Andre Tomlin

In this episode, Andre from The Mental Elf discusses how we can make mental health research accessible and useful for teachers and practitioners. The conversation tackles the challenges of jargon, paywalls, and misleading headlines, sharing practical tips for spotting reliable studies and avoiding common pitfalls. Andre highlights the power of co-producing interventions with young people, the importance of prevention, and the value of focusing on emotions and relationships in schools.

*Trigger Warning* - the discussion is focussed on mental health and there is brief discussion of suicide. 

Links to the resources mentioned are below:

Bullet point outline: 

  • Challenges in making mental health research accessible to non-researchers, particularly educators and practitioners.
  • The gap between published research and its practical application in real-world settings.
  • Issues with paywalls, academic jargon, and the complexity of research language.
  • Importance of critically evaluating research headlines and studies, including understanding correlation versus causation.
  • Key factors for assessing research quality, such as peer review, study design, and effect size.
  • The role of mixed methods research in providing a comprehensive understanding of mental health interventions.
  • The significance of co-production with young people in developing effective mental health programs.
  • The distinction between efficacy and effectiveness trials in evaluating interventions.
  • Common myths about mental health research in schools and the importance of evidence-based prevention.
  • Resources and platforms that help bridge the gap between mental health research and practical application for educators.