Happyles: depressiepreventie onder jongeren

The current study examines the effectiveness of the intervention Happy lessons (HL). HL is a school-based programme to promote well-being and prevent depression among young people and is provided by a mental health professional. It is specifically developed for young people in lower education. It consists of: (a) four classroom lessons of which two lessons also contain an e-learning module, (b) an online HL test that includes two well-being scales and a depression scale that is administered at the beginning of the classroom lessons, (c) an individual consultation session for each pupil with the mental health professional who delivers HL, and (d) an additional help offer for high-risk pupils. The primary outcome of the study is depressive symptoms at 6-months follow-up. Secondary outcomes are well-being and life satisfaction at 6-months follow-up. In addition, we will test for potential mediating and moderating factors. Potential mediating variables are school climate factors (climate (i.e., classmate support, teacher support, and school connectedness, and bullying). Putative effect modifiers are high-risk status (i.e., pupils reporting (sub)clinical levels of depressive symptoms on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and demographic characteristics (i.e., gender and immigration background).

Happyles: een schoolinterventie ter bevordering van het welzijn en preventie van depressieve symptomen onder vmbo-leerlingen. De interventie wordt gegeven door jeugdhulpprofessionals. 

T0: baseline T1: 3 months after baseline T2: 6 months after baseline

Four classroom lessons, two face-to-face lessons and two e-lessons, (b) an online HL test that includes two well-being scales and a depression scale that is administered at the beginning and end of the classroom lessons, (c) an individual consultation session for each pupil with the mental health professional who delivers HL, and (d) an additional help offer for high-risk pupils.