Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) trains individuals who regularly interact with youth to identify youth experiencing mental health challenges. Several studies demonstrate positive training impacts, but few assess whether the training equally impacts participants of different demographic and professional backgrounds or those who participate in different training modalities. Using a pre-post follow-up design with a comparison group, this study examined changes in participants confidence in their ability to recognize and support youth mental health needs 1 to 2 months after training. Data were collected over two years (2021-2023) from training participants (n = 480) and comparable non-participants (n = 51). The authors examined whether changes in confidence varied by participant race/ethnicity, professional role in the education or mental health fields, and training modality (online versus hybrid). Training participants confidence in supporting youth mental health increased significantly compared to non-participants. Although the training was effective for all participants, those with less mental health experience benefited more, consistent with previous research. While both in-person and hybrid training were effective, in-person training participants reported slightly higher confidence scores than virtual at follow-up. Study findings suggest that educational and social service organizations should offer this training to their staff and community members who interact with youth, prioritizing participants with less prior mental health training and delivering training through an in-person training modality when possible. However, additional research is needed to explore how aspects of in-person training, such as trainer characteristics and group dynamics, impact outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Most health and developmental issues affecting young people are interrelated. However, few interventions address multiple behavioral domains simultaneously or are based on theories that encompass a holistic perspective of youth development. AIM: The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and describe the range of theory-based, multibehavioral health interventions aimed at improving two or more of the following behavioral youth outcomes: (1) sexual and reproductive health; (2) education and employment; (3) violence; and (4) substance use. METHODS: Interventions conducted worldwide and published in English or Spanish between January 2000 and July 2020 were identified using four databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, LILACS, and SciELO. RESULTS: A total of 11,084 articles were identified, of which 477 were retrieved and assessed for eligibility. Twenty-three articles (evaluating 21 interventions) ultimately met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions were conducted in the United States and addressed two behavioral domains of interest, although seven interventions incorporated three domains, and one incorporated all four. Substance use was the most common domain (16 interventions) but only in the United States/Canada, followed by sexual and reproductive health (14 interventions). All produced significant improvement in at least one outcome or for at least one subgroup of youth. The most common theoretical foundations were positive youth development and social learning theory. CONCLUSION: Integrated interventions that are theory based and evidence informed can support positive development and empower youth to make healthy decisions. Further efforts are needed to address structural and policy issues that affect young peoples developmental opportunities and health outcomes.