Boekel

Depression is a significant public health issue affecting adolescents, with about 3.8% experiencing major depressive disorder and one in five reporting depressive symptoms. This condition increases the risk of suicide among young people. While school-based prevention programs like the STORM approach have helped reduce depressive symptoms in general education adolescents, students attending special education in the Netherlands, who make up 7% of adolescents, face unique challenges and higher vulnerability to depression and suicidality. This research aims to screen these adolescents, provide a prevention program to stop depression onset or continuation, and assess the program's effectiveness through a randomized controlled trial. The study involves adolescents in the second or third grade of special education who show elevated depressive symptoms. Participants are randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving the CBT-based preventive group training called Op Volle Kracht at their school or a control group that is monitored and offered the training if proven effective. Teachers in all participating schools receive Gatekeeperstraining to help detect and manage depressive and suicidal symptoms among students. Adolescents reporting suicidality are referred to specialized care with parental involvement. Participants complete assessments of depressive symptoms at screening, baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. The study also monitors suicidality, anxiety, and somatic complaints over time. Researchers ensure that adolescents are guided to mental health care as needed throughout the trial. The overall goal is to offer a proven prevention program tailored for adolescents attending special schools while evaluating its impact on depressive symptomatology and related outcomes over a one-year period.