In recent years, there have been extensive efforts in secondary schools to prevent, treat and raise awareness of adolescent mental health problems. For some adolescents, these efforts are essential and will lead to a reduction in clinical symptoms. However, it is also vital to assess whether, for others, the current approach might be causing unintended harm. A growing body of quantitative research indicates that universal school-based mental health interventions can increase distress or clinical symptoms, and qualitative work indicates this may be partly due to the interventions themselves. In this talk, I review this evidence and discuss it is the context of my wider, societal-level concerns about the negative effects of mental health awareness efforts.
