Homework 1, Section B Question 1: An article published in JAMA Pediatrics - presents the results of a randomized clinical trial designed to assess the impact of a school-based intervention on depression in Chilean students. Some information from the abstract appears below: IMPORTANCE Depression can have devastating effects unless prevented or treated early and effectively. Schools offer an excellent opportunity to intervene with adolescents presenting emotional problems. There are very few universal school-based depression interventions conducted in low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of a school-based, universal psychological intervention to reduce depressive symptoms among adolescents from low-income families. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A 2-arm, parallel, cluster, randomized clinical trial was conducted in secondary schools in deprived socioeconomic areas of Santiago, Chile. Almost all students registered in the selected schools consented to take part in the study. A total of 2512 secondary school students from 22 schools and 66 classes participated INTERVENTIONS Students in the intervention arm attended 11 one-hour weekly and 2 booster classroom sessions of an intervention based on cognitive-behavioral models. The intervention was delivered by trained nonspecialists. Schools in the control arm received the standard school curriculum. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Scores on the self-administered Beck Depression Inventory-II at 3 months (primary) and 12 months (secondary) after completing the intervention. RESULTS There were 1291 participants in the control arm and 1221 in the intervention arm. The primary outcome of interest was student scores on the Beck-Depression Inventory -II, and the primary predictor of interest was the randomization group (intervention or control). Higher scores on this scale indicate a higher level of depression. Here are some results from the study