What are High School Students’ Perceived Mental Health Experiences in Relation to the Duration of their Participation in After-School Programs?

This exploratory mixed-methods study examined high school students’ perceived mental health experiences in relation to the duration of their participation in after-school programs (ASPs). Rather than testing whether ASP participation causes long-term changes in mental health, the study described students’ self-reported experiences across different participation-duration groups. A survey was completed by 38 students at Mount de Sales Academy, and approximately five students participated in follow-up interviews, with two interviewees’ responses included in the final paper. The survey asked about stress and anxiety management, mood, emotional support, coping skills, belonging, social interaction, friendship, emotional safety, and awareness of emotional needs and mental health. Descriptive frequencies, percentages, and duration-group comparisons were used; no inferential statistical tests were conducted. The largest duration group was students reporting more than three years of participation (n = 24). Across the full sample, students frequently reported positive experiences with emotional support, belonging, social interaction, and emotional awareness, although responses varied by duration group and individual experience. The interview responses similarly showed both positive and challenging experiences, including one long-term participant who described benefits related to stress management and confidence and a shorter-term participant who described both increased stress and greater awareness of her mental health. Because the study used a single-school convenience sample, self-report measures, and a cross-sectional design, the findings describe perceived experiences and patterns rather than causal or longitudinal effects.