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Background: Task‐shifted, teacher‐led care may begin to bridge the child mental health care gap in low‐ and middle‐income countries by improving mental health literacy. We explore the perceived impact of RESEED (Responding to Students' Emotions through Education), an abbreviated version of Tealeaf (Teachers Leading the Frontlines). Methods: After classroom implementation of tools from a 3‐day training on child mental health and cognitive behavioral techniques in Darjeeling, India, 29 teachers participated in focus group discussions (FGDs). Results: Inductive content analyses of FGDs demonstrated RESEED's acceptability, positive overall impact, and barriers. Conclusions: Stepped levels of teacher‐led care may support child mental health in resource‐limited settings through mental reframing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mental health needs of children in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) often go unmet due to a lack of qualified mental health professionals. Task-shifting the provision of mental health services to teachers may facilitate access to care. Family engagement in task-shifting may support mental health outcomes but is understudied in this context. The current study explored teacher and caregiver perceptions of family engagement within a teacher-led, task-shifted mental health intervention in an LMIC. Primary school teachers from five schools in Darjeeling, India delivered evidence-based, indicated mental health care to children with mental health needs throughout the school day. We conducted semi-structured interviews (SSIs) with teachers (n=17) and caregivers (n=21). SSIs were coded for themes related to family engagement. Teachers and caregivers were compared based on perceived levels of engagement. Participants reported three patterns of engagement: families who fully engaged; families who felt positively about teachers but displayed little engagement; and families with limited engagement. Barriers included logistical challenges and misconceptions about the programme. Many teachers implicated family engagement as a facilitator of the programme, suggesting that family involvement may support intervention outcomes. Future work could involve the development of an intervention component to better facilitate engagement in this context. Trial registration: Clinical Trials Registry India identifier: CTRI/2018/01/011471. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]