Evaluation of a School-Based Depression Prevention Program for Youths in High-risk Neighborhoods.

In this randomized controlled trial (RCT, with 2 conditions, intervention and control group) the effectiveness and mediating mechanisms of a school-based depression prevention program for adolescents (12-14 years of age) from high-risk neighborhoods will be tested. Adolescents in the intervention group receive the program consisting of 16 lessons integrated with the school curriculum. Measurements of primary and secondary outcomes will be conducted in the intervention and control group at four times (baseline, post intervention, 6 and 12 months follow up).

The depression prevention program ("Op Volle Kracht") will be delivered by teachers in the school curriculum in schools with adolescents from high-risk background. It is expected that adolescents who receive the interventions will show lower (increase in) depressive symptoms during the follow-up measurements, compared to the control group. Mediating effects for cognitive vulnerability to stress are hypothesized.

1. Baseline (December 2011);

2. Post intervention (June 2012);

3. Follow up: 6 months after the end of the intervention (December 2012);

4. Follow up: 12 months after the end of the intervention (June 2013).

Participating classes will be randomly allocated to the intervention or control condition, stratified for educational level. Allocation will be done within schools. All the groups in the intervention condition will receive the program which consists of 16 lessons of 50 minutes and will be integrated in the school curriculum from January until June 2012. The program will be delivered by trained teachers.
Adolescents in the control condition receive no intervention and will follow the regular school curriculum.