The Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) Schools Program for the Prevention of Adolescent Anxiety and Depression - A Randomised Controlled Trial

INTERVENTION: CRUfAD Schools: Overcoming Anxiety and Combating Depression is an online universal prevention program delivered as part of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) Syllabus for New South Wales. Participants will receive access to the CRUfADschool’s anxiety and depression course as an internet Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (iCBT) program. This iCBT program is based on the efficacy of the CRUfAD Schools model in stress, alcohol and cannabis in three earlier based interventions (Van Vilet & Andrews, 2009), (Newton, Andrews, Teesson, & Vogl, 2009; Newton, Teesson, Vogl, & Andrews, 2010; Vogl et al., 2009). The Overcoming Anxiety program consist of six lessons and summaries and the Combating Depression program contains seven lessons. Both represent best practice principles used in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for depression and anxiety including skill acquisition, psychoeducation, and management of psychological symptoms, cognitive symptoms, behaviour and additional skills specific to each disorder. The program was delivered once a week over a total of six weeks. The lessons run for 40 minutes using blended (online and classroom) teaching techniques. The first is a 15‐20 minute online module. Students are instructed to log onto the program and individually undertake the self‐directed program. Students complete quizzes and follow a cartoon storyline of teenagers experiencing and solving real life problems with anxiety and depression. As participants progress through each lesson they complete quizzes and a lesson summary activity sheet. The second half of the lesson, students return to a class discussion. Using the downloadable teacher’s manual, teachers are instructed to hand out a set of activities and resources to reinforce the information learnt in the previous lesson. Teachers in the intervention group required minimal training. The control schools received PDHPE classes as usual. CONDITION: Generalised Anxiety Disorder Major Depressive Disorder PRIMARY OUTCOME: Generalised Anxiety Disorder is measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder ‐ 7 Item (GAD‐7) questionnaire. Symptoms and severity of depression is measured by the short‐form Patient Health Questionnaire‐5 (PHQ‐5). SECONDARY OUTCOME: Knowledge questionnaire for depression and anxiety as a test of knowledge gained ; Name of questionnaire: N/A Psychological distress as measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale 6 Item (K‐6). INCLUSION CRITERIA: Students currently enrolled in year 9‐10 of high school (14‐16 years old) who provide self and parental consent. Schools: Catholic and Independent high schools.