Participation Rates and Clinical Outcomes in School-Based Mental Health Programmes for High-Risk Adolescents in South African Schools: AIntervention Study

School-based mental health programmes have been proposed as a strategy to address high-risk adolescents in South African schools, aiming to improve participation rates and clinical outcomes. A mixed-methods approach including surveys, interviews, and observational data collection was employed. The study utilised a pre-post design with baseline and follow-up assessments to measure changes over time. Participation rates were significantly higher (p = 0.02) in schools implementing the intervention compared to control groups, while there was no significant difference observed in clinical outcomes. The findings suggest that school-based mental health interventions can effectively increase participation but may not necessarily lead to clinically significant improvements. Further research should focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying higher participation rates and exploring ways to enhance clinical effectiveness of these programmes.