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Flow chart of participation through the COMPLETE school based randomised controlled trial. N for baseline and follow-up assessments reflect the total number of students participating in each of the assessments, and not the number of participants participating in both assessments
Source publication
Background:
Drop out from upper secondary school represents a risk for the future health and wellbeing of young people. Strengthening of psychosocial aspects of the learning environment may be an effective strategy to promote completion of upper secondary school. This paper is a study protocol of a school based cluster randomized controlled trial...
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Background:
While a large literature links psychosocial workplace factors with health and health behaviors, there is very little work connecting psychosocial workplace factors to healthcare utilization.
Methods:
Survey data were collected from two different employers using computer-assisted telephone interviewing as a part of the Work-Family Hea...
Citations
... This study used data from the COMPLETE study (Larsen et al., 2018), a school-based intervention project designed to improve the psychosocial learning environment and increase completion rates in upper secondary schools. Seventeen schools participated in the study, 12 received intervention measures, and five served as the control group. ...
This study investigated the developmental impact of teacher autonomy support on changes in students’ mental well-being and academic stress throughout upper secondary school. The sample consisted of 1453 Norwegian students (baseline Mage = 17.00; 60.6% girls; 80.9% Norwegian-born). The unconditional latent growth curve model results showed that perceived teacher autonomy support and mental well-being decreased during the three-year-long education. Academic stress, on the other hand, increased during this period. Findings from the parallel process latent growth curve model indicated that the initial status and change in teacher autonomy support were positively and negatively related to the initial levels and trajectories of mental well-being and academic stress, respectively. Girls experienced a higher level of academic stress and lower mental well-being and teacher autonomy support at the beginning of upper secondary school. Students with a higher socioeconomic status reported higher initial mental well-being and teacher autonomy support than others but also a more rapid decline in teacher autonomy support throughout upper secondary school. This study provides new insights into academic, psychological, and affective processes and their interrelationships during upper secondary school.
... This study uses data from the COMPLETE study, a randomised controlled trial aimed to improve the psychosocial environment in upper secondary schools and decrease dropout rates (Larsen et al., 2018). COMPLETE was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD), and all participants received oral and written information about the study before participating. ...
... Six schools received a single-tier intervention with a universal program (Dream School Programme), and five schools received a multi-tier intervention consisting of the universal (Dream School Programme) and a targeted program (Mental Health Support Team). Five schools were composed the control group (see Larsen et al., 2018 for details on intervention conditions and study design). ...
The positive youth development (PYD) and social justice perspectives assume that it is important to consider challenges related to equity and
inequality in education to understand academic processes and outcomes of
the increasingly diverse student population. Students’ socioeconomic status,
parents’ educational level, sex, and immigrant background impact on students’
motivation, learning, grades, and development. Norway is considered to have
robust conditions for PYD and fair allocation of resources because of the
country’s active and supportive welfare state model. Equity, equal opportunities, and inclusion are consistently cited as the goal of schooling in the country. This chapter investigates how sex, socioeconomic status, and immigrant
background relate to the developmental trajectories of academic initiative,
academic self-efficacy, and grade point average (GPA) throughout upper
secondary education in Norway. The authors used data from 1508 general
education students attending 16 schools that participated in the COMPLETE
study, a randomised controlled trial aimed to improve the psychosocial environment in upper secondary schools and decrease dropout rates. Results
from latent growth curve modelling indicated group differences related to
changes over a three year-period (2016–2019) in GPA, but not in academic
initiative or self-efficacy. Girls reported greater improvement in GPA than
boys, students with a high socioeconomic status had a larger improvement
in their GPA than students with a low socioeconomic status, and Norwegian
immigrant youth experienced a greater improvement in their GPA compared
to their non-immigrant peers. Findings are discussed considering school as
a socially equalising actor.
... This study uses data from the COMPLETE study, a randomised controlled trial aimed to improve the psychosocial environment in upper secondary schools and decrease dropout rates (Larsen et al., 2018). COMPLETE was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD), and all participants received oral and written information about the study before participating. ...
... Six schools received a single-tier intervention with a universal program (Dream School Programme), and five schools received a multi-tier intervention consisting of the universal (Dream School Programme) and a targeted program (Mental Health Support Team). Five schools were composed the control group (see Larsen et al., 2018 for details on intervention conditions and study design). ...
Covering an introductory chapter, a commentary and nine full chapters published as protocol, experimental, theoretical, or empirical studies, this publication depicts the voices, perceptions, experiences and developmental outcomes of adolescents and emerging adults from countries located in four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. Individually and collectively, the different book chapters address how social justice and equity can be advanced from a Positive Youth Development perspective during these challenging times of globalization and digitalization, as well as when facing a global health emergency, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The observations and opinions of authors, corresponding to the diverse countries and continents represented in this book, signify the different ways a just and equitable society can be created for young people. Throughout the pages of this book, the importance of including the voices and choices of young people in research, policy and intervention becomes apparent to be able to promote and build a more just society.
... This study uses data collected in the COMPLETE project (Larsen et al., 2018), a randomized controlled trial aimed to improve the psychosocial learning environment in upper secondary school, a three-year-long education, in Norway. The project implemented two interventions in six schools each, and five schools served as the control group. ...
Although research has investigated the association between pathological gaming and academic performance in adolescence, the complexity of the relationship has not been thoroughly examined. This short longitudinal study aimed to investigate the interactions between pathological gaming, academic self-efficacy, academic initiative, and academic performance in an adolescent sample, focusing on sex differences. The participants (N = 2853; 50.1% boys) were students in the second and third years of upper secondary school. Their grade point average (GPA) at graduation the same year was obtained. The moderated mediation structural equation model results showed that academic self-efficacy, directly and indirectly through academic initiative, impacted later GPA. There was no direct effect of pathological gaming on academic initiative or GPA. However, academic self-efficacy moderated the impact of pathological gaming on GPA for boys. In other words, boys with increased pathological gaming tended to achieve poorer grades in school if they experienced a strong academic self-efficacy. This study contributes to the understanding of the complex interplay between sex, pathological gaming, academic self-efficacy, academic initiative, and academic performance. We suggest that future research examines confidence or other relevant factors as explanatory mechanisms in the relationships between pathological gaming, academic self-efficacy, and GPA, particularly in male samples.
... They were responsible for implementing the action plan that the class creates and important partners for the student mentors in their work with the class. At each school, a resource group was set up, with school managers, teachers, students, and other employees responsible for conducting the DSP in their school [13,41]. ...
... It followed the students from their commencement of upper secondary school to graduation. This study was unblinded (see Larsen et al. [13] for more details). ...
This cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined the effect of a three year follow up of a multi-tier intervention aiming at improving the psychosocial environment in upper secondary schools in Norway. Two intervention conditions were tested: a universal single-tier intervention focused on improving the psychosocial school climate, the dream school program (DSP), and a multi-tier intervention combining the DSP with a targeted measure, the mental health support team (MHST). A total of 2203 students responded to the baseline survey. Of the 2203 pupils, 1884 responded to the first follow-up survey (year 1), 1287 pupils to the second (year 2), and 756 pupils to the third (year 3). The direct and indirect effects on school completion were analyzed using a multi-level linear mixed model. The results showed no significant effects of either the DSP or the DSP and MHST in combination on support, the school climate, mental health, or academic adjustment. We found no significant effect of the interventions on the proportion who had completed school or were in training (the three groups varied between 76.6% and 77.8%). Future similar studies should be attentive to the potential challenges of implementing RCTs in the school setting. Furthermore, the long-term effects of school interventions on the constructs included in this study could be difficult to capture due to the complexity of the phenomena. The implications of these findings are discussed.
... The data for this study were drawn from the COMPLETE project (Larsen et al., 2018), a clusterrandomized controlled trial in Norwegian high schools, running from August 2016 to June 2019 with the objective of improving the psychosocial learning environment and, in turn, increase the completion rate in high school. All high schools in four Norwegian counties were invited to participate. ...
We investigated the between-and within-person longitudinal relationship between perceptions of a caring school climate and mental well-being, and the role of socioeconomic position (SEP) for these constructs among high school students in Norway (N ¼ 1508; 60.7% girls). Using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model, we found positive concurrent associations between perceptions of a caring school climate and mental well-being at both between and within levels, and positive cross-lagged effects at the within-person level from mental well-being to later perceptions of a caring school climate across all time points. SEP was positively associated with mental well-being at time one, and at all time points with perceptions of a caring school climate. The findings suggest that mental well-being is a significant contributor to how Norwegian adolescents subsequently perceive their school context , and underscore the importance of school staff being particularly attentive toward students who struggle with mental health, as well as those with lower SEP.
... The COMPLETE study was approved by the Norwegian Center for Research Data (now Sikt-Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research). For further details on the ethical procedure, see Larsen et al. (32). ...
Introduction
Applying variable-centered analytical approaches, several studies have found an association between civic engagement and youth mental health. In the present study, we used a person-centered approach to explore whether civic engagement was related to optimal trajectories of mental health compared to other trajectories. We also examined how sociodemographic factors, such as socioeconomic status (SES), gender and age were related to youth mental health trajectories.
Methods
Our sample comprised 675 students (aged 16–22) who had participated in three waves of data collection (Mage = 18.85, SD = 0.55; 43% males) in the COMPLETE project, a cluster-randomized controlled trial that involved Norwegian upper secondary schools.
Results
The results revealed three trajectories of mental health (reflecting a combination of mental distress and mental well-being): optimal, intermediate, and sub-optimal. Contrary to our expectations, higher levels of civic engagement were not related to the optimal trajectory of mental health vs. other trajectories. However, we found that students who reported higher levels of SES and males were more likely to follow the optimal trajectory compared to other trajectories.
Discussion
While the findings on civic engagement could be due to our measurement’s inability to capture the concept of “dugnad,” a well-established civic activity in the Norwegian society, the findings regarding the influence of SES and gender suggest that there is still more work to be done concerning the assessment and advancement of factors that can address mental health inequalities across SES and gender.
... This article was based on data from the COMPLETE project (Larsen et al., 2018), a study that lasted from 2016 to 2019. COMPLETE is a randomised controlled trial study developed to improve the psychosocial learning environment and subsequently increase the completion rate in upper secondary school. ...
This study investigates the associations between students’ developmental changes in academic self-efficacy, academic initiative, and grade point average (GPA) during a three-year upper secondary education. The sample consisted of 1453 students aged 16–19 (60.6% girls; baseline mean age = 17.00 SD = .91; 56.1% high
perceived family wealth; and 74.9% Norwegian-born). To explore how changes in academic self-efficacy, academic initiative, and GPA were related, we investigated a theoretical parallel process
latent growth curve model. The results implied that, during upper secondary school, academic self-efficacy declined, while academic initiative and GPA remained stable. We found possible ceiling
effects within and between several of the study’s constructs. The main finding was support for a positive feedback loop between the developmental trajectories of academic self-efficacy, academic
initiative, and GPA. The present study adds new insight that should be taken into consideration when promoting positive educational development during late secondary school.
... The present study was a cross-sectional study using data from the control arm of the COMPLeTe study, a randomised controlled trial conducted in two Norwegian counties [25]. The data were collected through an electronic questionnaire in 2017 at the first follow-up of the study [25]. ...
... The present study was a cross-sectional study using data from the control arm of the COMPLeTe study, a randomised controlled trial conducted in two Norwegian counties [25]. The data were collected through an electronic questionnaire in 2017 at the first follow-up of the study [25]. Of 735 students from five upper secondary schools, 557 (75.8%) responded. ...
... Of these, 541 were between 16 and 19 years of age (M age =16.89 years, SD=0.46), complying with the WHO's [4] definition of 'adolescent' (10-19 years of age), and accordingly were included in the current study. The adolescents filled out the questionnaire during a school class under the administration of researchers and research assistants in the project [25]. ...
Aims:
Life satisfaction is an important aspect of quality of life and plays an essential role in optimal developmental adaption in adolescence. This study investigated whether being active in organised leisure sports is associated with a higher level of life satisfaction among adolescents, both directly and indirectly, through increased body appreciation. Whether gender moderates the mentioned associations will also be examined.
Methods:
The study was cross-sectional and based on a sample of 541 participants (44% females) between 16 and 19 years of age (Mage=16.89 years, SD=0.46). A moderated mediation model was examined using SPSS v27 and the PROCESS macro.
Results:
Boys had higher life satisfaction and body appreciation levels than girls did. There was no direct effect of organised leisure sports participation on life satisfaction. However, there was a positive association between organised leisure sports participation and life satisfaction through increased body appreciation. No gender differences were observed for the direct association between sports participation and life satisfaction or the indirect associations between sports participation and life satisfaction through body appreciation.
Conclusions:
Our findings support that body appreciation is a mediator for the association between organised leisure sports participation and life satisfaction for both boys and girls. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to further examine if causal relationships exist.
... To gain a more nuanced understanding of specific viable efforts in the Norwegian context, more rigorous evaluations are needed. In this study, we introduce the Dream School Program and the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) (detailed descriptions below in Section 2.2), which are measures that have been implemented in Norwegian upper secondary schools to systematically promote these aspects of the psychosocial environment [38]. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate whether systematic work within the classroom and school environment by means of a single-tier (Dream School Program) and a multi-tier (Dream School Program and MHST) intervention affected the students' experiences with the psychosocial environment (measured as a caring climate) and their connection to their peers (measured as feelings of loneliness) and its relation to completion of upper secondary education. ...
... This study is a part of the COMPLETE study [38], trial number NCT03382080, a school-based, three-armed cluster RCT with the aim of improving the psychosocial school environment and increasing completion rates in Norwegian upper secondary schools. Sixteen schools across four counties participated in the study, of which five schools received a single-tier intervention, six schools received a multi-tier intervention, and five schools made up the control group. ...
... For example, making the MHST available may have provided an additional focus on the school's efforts to improve its psychosocial environment in general, e.g., through better support to teachers in their work with the universal program, in turn increasing their efficacy in building a caring climate for the students [54,55]. Further, the MHST is intended to support particularly vulnerable students [38]. Although we do not have information regarding the prevalence of students that received follow-up from the MHST team, nor what specific efforts resulted from the follow-up, our results may reflect that students who are vulnerable, including with regards to social aspects, may have benefited from the team, and perhaps also due to a synergy effect of the two interventions efforts. ...
This study examines the impact of interventions aimed at improving psychosocial health on students' perception of a caring school climate, their feelings of loneliness, and school completion in Norwegian upper secondary education. Two intervention conditions were tested: a universal single-tier intervention focused on improving the psychosocial school climate: the Dream School Program, and a multi-tier intervention combining the Dream School Program with a targeted measure, the Mental Health Support Team. The direct and indirect effects of these interventions on school completion were analyzed using structural equation models (SEM), with data from 1508 students (mean age at Time 1: 17.02 (SD = 0.92); 60.7% girls; 72.1% Norwegian-born). The results indicated that loneliness levels did not differ significantly between the intervention conditions. However, students in the multi-tier intervention group reported a significantly higher perception of a caring school climate compared to those in the single-tier intervention group. The multi-tier intervention group had a lower rate of school completion compared to the control group and the single-tier intervention group. The SEM analysis revealed that the multi-tier intervention reduced loneliness in the second year of upper secondary school by promoting a caring school climate in the first school year. In contrast, the single-tier intervention was associated with increased loneliness due to a decrease in the perception of a caring school climate. The implications of these findings are discussed.
