Effectiveness, mechanisms, implementation, and cost-offset of an intersectoral prevention program targeting youth mental health difficulties: the STIME study protocol.

backgroundMental health problems among children and adolescents are rising across Europe, with around 15-20% affected. In Denmark, approximately 15% of young people are diagnosed with a mental disorder before the age of 18 years, a rate that has steadily increased over recent decades. Early mental health problems have lasting negative impacts on development, education, relationships, and future employment, representing a major public health challenge. Yet, there is limited evidence on how preventive interventions perform under real-world conditions. The STIME study addresses this gap by evaluating the effectiveness, mechanisms, implementation, and economic implications of a comprehensive preventive program for youth mental health.

methodsThe STIME study comprises four sub-studies. Sub-study 1 consists of five separate waitlisted randomised controlled trials evaluating the interventions 'Signs of disordered eating', 'Signs of self-harm', 'Signs of internalising', 'Take the control back', and the 'Parent Pilots'. Participants will be randomly allocated to either immediate intervention or, depending on the intervention of interest, an active or passive control group followed by delayed access to the intervention. The active control groups will be delivered online by trained psychologists. The primary outcome across all interventions is mental wellbeing, assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Impact Scale and the WHO-5 Wellbeing Index. Secondary outcomes are intervention-specific and measured using validated scales. Data will be collected at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and six months post-baseline (T2). Sub-study 2 explores mechanisms of change, Sub-study 3 examines implementation processes, and Sub-study 4 assesses economic impact and cost-offsets. DISCUSSION: The STIME study is among the first large-scale, multi-component evaluations of preventive mental health interventions implemented under real-world conditions. By integrating prevention, implementation, and economic perspectives, this study will provide robust evidence to inform effective, scalable, and sustainable public mental health strategies for children, adolescents, and families.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier H25031805 (accessible here https://register. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/prs/beta/studies/S000FX7400000260/recordSummary ), registered on October 3rd (version 1).