Addressing childhood trauma using creative expressive therapy in schools: The value of collaboration and connection

Young people are facing a rapidly changing world full of challenges. In combination with general genetic and known risks, these challenges can lead to mental ill-health and substance use problems. 

It makes sense that we want programs to intervene and support young people with their mental health and empower those who work with young people. However, if programs are not evaluated, or are not based in evidence-based research, how can we be sure that a program is helping?

At the Matilda Centre, our researchers work in partnership with external organisations to evaluate their programs for mental health and substance use. These evaluations look at the implementation and effectiveness of programs, and suggest evidence-based ways to improve their efficacy over the short and long-term. 

Currently, we are partnered with KidsXpress to evaluate the implementation of their novel School Partnership Program. This school-based program combines trauma-informed expressive therapy with education services. The program is implemented in schools over a three-year period and works closely with students, family and staff to improve mental wellbeing for the whole community.  

We spoke with Associate Professor Emma Barrett to learn more about the evaluation, the importance of schools as a place to intervene, and the benefits of a trauma-informed focus on mental wellbeing. 

The KidsXpress School Partnership Program is an innovative ‘whole of school’ approach designed to address mental wellbeing among children impacted by trauma. Schools provide an optimal context to offer mental health support to children and their families. 

The Program involves skilled therapists providing individual or group-based expressive therapy, leveraging the therapeutic benefit of music, art, drama, play and dance. Additionally, trauma-informed training programs and consultancy services are offered to build the capacity of schools to support children and create positive learning environments. 

This ‘whole of school approach’ aligns with the National Guidelines for Trauma-Aware Education and is recommended by experts globally to maximise the outcomes for children who have experienced trauma and for their communities. By forging this collaboration with KidsXpress, we have a valuable opportunity to evaluate the implementation of this innovative program.

We know from research that children commonly experience adverse and traumatic events. Data collected as part of our school-based prevention trials has revealed that up to 71% of students have experienced abuse or neglect before 18 years old and one in four 13 year olds have experienced a traumatic event (with over half of those having experienced multiple traumas). While not all young people exposed to trauma go on to experience mental ill-health, a number of children do experience symptoms of anxiety, depression and traumatic stress which, if left unaddressed, can last a lifetime and cause substantial harm.

By intervening early and engaging with schools using evidence-based, whole of school approaches, there’s strong potential that the outcomes for children who have been impacted by trauma are substantially improved. Many of the harms associated with childhood trauma can be addressed and a range of positive outcomes can be achieved, including those related to mental health, physical health, wellbeing, relationships, behavioural outcomes and educational attainment. Flow on benefits for families and school communities can also be obtained.  

Relationship building really has been a critical theme for this project – from the early discussions with the KidsXpress team to pave the way for our partnership and design our evaluation, through to our efforts now to build relationships with participating schools. We are also engaging in strategic meetings with the KidsXpress team to plan further collaborative work into the future.

The success of the KidsXpress School Partnership Program relies heavily on the strong relationships they have forged with participating schools, students, families and staff. Importantly, KidsXpress work intensively with each school to tailor the delivery of the program and decide on the optimal implementation strategy to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability. 

For more information about the KidsXpress School Partnership Program and how your school can get involved in future partnerships, reach out to the KidsXpress team.

Interested in having the Matilda Centre evaluate your mental health or wellbeing program to ensure it is evidence-based and impactful in practice? Reach out to the team today!