• Paul Stallard and Rhiannon Buck.
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Research Group, 22-23 Eastwood, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. p.stallard@bath.ac.uk
• Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 2013 Jan 1;54:s18-23.

BackgroundThe limited reach and effectiveness of psychological treatments for adolescent depression have fuelled interest in alternative approaches designed to promote resilience. Schools offer a convenient location for the widespread delivery of depression prevention programmes, although little research has evaluated the feasibility of delivering interventions in this setting.AimsTo investigate the feasibility of delivering and evaluating a universal school-based depression prevention programme for children aged 12-16 years.MethodA three-arm pilot study was conducted in one UK secondary school (n = 834).ResultsInterventions had good reach (96%), with high rates of consent (89%) and reasonable retention (78%). The majority of intervention sessions were delivered as intended, with 85% of students attending seven or more sessions. The programme was acceptable to students and teachers, with the specific content of the active intervention being rated differently from the control programmes.ConclusionsDelivering and undertaking methodologically robust evaluations of universal school-based depression programmes is feasible.

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