Start of the scientific evaluation of tomoni.schools in cooperation with the University Hospital of Würzburg
Start of the scientific evaluation of tomoni.schools in cooperation with the University Hospital of Würzburg
Frankfurt/Würzburg, December 5, 2023 - The non-profit company tomoni mental health and the University Hospital of Würzburg announce the official start of the scientific evaluation of the tomoni.schools training program.
tomoni.schools is an interactive digital training program for the early detection of mental illness for all those working in secondary schools throughout Germany. The aim of the course is to enable participants to recognize signs of mental illness in pupils at an early stage and provide appropriate help.
"We don't just want to mean well, we also want to scientifically prove the effectiveness of our offer. tomoni.schools was developed together with those affected, educators and scientists. We are hopeful that the evaluation will illustrate its effectiveness," says Alix Puhl, Managing Director of tomoni together with her husband Oliver.
The study is being conducted by the German Center for Prevention Research Mental Health (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg/ Universitätsklinikum Würzburg) under the direction of Professor Dr. med. Marcel Romanos, Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy and Dr. phil. Dipl.-Psych. Arne Bürger, the head psychologist of the study outpatient clinic, together with the psychologists Sabrina Mittermeier and Sarah Franke.
Dr. Romanos on the evaluation: "We want to find out to what extent tomoni.schools not only enables teachers to better recognize signs of mental illness in their students at an early stage, we also want to see whether the students really benefit from it. Most evaluations in the field of prevention do not take this important final step. This is the innovative approach of this study and we are looking forward to the results."
The evaluation focuses on the effectiveness of the tomoni.schools program and is divided into two studies. Study 1, which is now starting, is aimed solely at teachers and teachers in training. Study 2 will begin in spring 2024 and will also include pupils.
"Study 1 examines the medium and long-term impact of tomoni.schools on the participating teachers. Specifically, it focuses on the parameters of increased knowledge, destigmatization of mental illness, as well as teachers' confidence in their own ability and willingness to act," explains Dr. Arne Bürger.
Study 2 examines the extent to which pupils feel supported by their teachers. This is intended to positively influence the willingness to accept offers of help as well as mental health and the classroom climate. The aim of the entire study is to gain comprehensive insights into how tomoni.schools contributes to the early detection of mental illness in young people.
"The scientific evaluation will not only serve to prove the effectiveness of our program. The knowledge gained will also optimize existing approaches and form the basis of future tomoni services for those affected. We look forward to working with the UKW team and would like to thank the Frankfurt-based Horst Haas and Irene Haas Scheuermann Foundation, which provided significant support in funding the evaluation," adds Oliver Puhl.
Detailed information on the study can be found at https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00032839 or https://www.med.uni-wuerzburg.de/dzpp/studien/tomonischools/.