The DISCOVER implementation study: Investigating the sustainability and scale up of a schools based intervention to improve mental wellbeing of 16-18 years olds across six regions in England.

Young people in England are facing a growing mental health crisis, with 1 in 4 17–19-year-olds now experiencing a probable mental disorder. Access to specialist support remains limited, with over 60% of affected adolescents receiving no care. School-based mental health services offer a unique opportunity to provide accessible and effective support. The DISCOVER intervention, previously shown to improve mental wellbeing in 16–18-year-olds through the successful BESST trial, now moves into a critical phase: testing national implementation. This research addresses the need to scale evidence-based mental health interventions for older adolescents in real-world school settings.

This three-year, mixed-methods study will test the sustainability and scalability of DISCOVER across six regions in England. It involves training NHS Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to deliver DISCOVER workshops in 24 schools, with a focus on reaching diverse student populations. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), the study examines how DISCOVER can be embedded into existing school and NHS systems, including training delivery, outcome monitoring through digital tools, and understanding conditions that influence successful implementation. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will assess uptake, equity, clinical outcomes, implementation approaches and long-term sustainability.

By working in partnership with schools, NHS staff, universities, and policy-makers, this study ensures that the findings inform national policy, training curricula, and implementation guidance. Key outputs will include an outcomes framework, toolkits, policy briefings, and a national implementation guide. The ultimate aim is to enable MHSTs across England to deliver DISCOVER as a routine, effective, and equitable mental health intervention. Through this work, DISCOVER has the potential to reduce anxiety and depression in thousands of adolescents, decrease pressure on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and improve mental health outcomes nationwide.