Table 1.

Summary of the Intervention Content, BCTs, and the Delivery Method Across the Three Gender-Sensitive Interventions

Intervention content	BCT(s) embedded within the intervention	Delivery method
Delivery of mental health information regarding depression, anxiety and alcohol misuse	5.1. Information about health consequences 5.3. Information about social and environmental consequences 5.6. Information about emotional consequences	Group presentation for interventions 1 and 2 outlining what mental health is, stressors at university, symptoms associated with excessive low mood, excessive worry, and excessive alcohol use. Highlighting how many symptoms and when their duration is cause for concern. Case study examples/vignette’s where students have to identify the symptoms. Intervention 3 included a leaflet about mental health symptoms, what they look like and when their duration is cause for concern.
Information on available mental health services, the treatment structure and its effectiveness	3.2. Social support (practical) 5.1. Information about health consequences 5.3. Information about social and environmental consequences	Listing different types of support in both interventions 1 and 2 including: friends and family, online support, university services, and professional services in the NHS. Emphasizing that they have the choice to engage with any service they feel is appropriate. Presentation of a “road map” regarding how long referrals, assessments, treatment duration, and the effectiveness of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Same information provided within a leaflet in intervention 3.
Use of videos and photos of male celebrities who have experienced mental health help-seeking	6.2. Social comparison 9.1. Credible source	Group discussion on photographs of male celebrities from a range of professions who have openly discussed issues relating to mental health (e.g., Prince William and UK rapper Stormzy) and a short video from YouTube where male celebrities talk about their mental health struggles (Interventions 1 and 2 only).
Emphasis placed on taking responsibility for your mental health	3.2. Social support (practical) 13.2 Framing/Re-framing	Interventions 1 and 2 included a presentation highlighting that taking responsibility and finding appropriate support is positive. Support can extend to friends, family, and professional support. Group discussion on why men find it difficult to ask for help. Intervention 2 and 3 labeled as “improving psychological strength for men” and “Man Cave” to align with male stereotypes.
Delivering a male-only space whilst facilitating social support	3.1. Social support (unspecified)	Group based interventions specifically for male-students. Games console activity after interventions 1 and 2 as part of the honorarium given. Intervention 3 provided an informal drop in space to meet other male students by providing a series of social activities (games console, board games, arts and crafts, and table tennis).
Highlighting active problem-solving/self-help techniques such as problem-solving, mindfulness, time management and action planning	1.2. Problem-solving 1.4. Action planning 11.2. Reduce negative emotions	Interventions 1 and 2 includes information and practice activities for relaxation techniques (5-minute YouTube activity on mindfulness), solving a novel problem (e.g., how to make £1million in 6 months), time management (a case study/vignette on how to improve a student’s poor time management), and action planning where student’s identify 3 key problems and three potential solutions that can be completed in the next month. Intervention 2 had additional information about behavioral activation, how to identify negative cycles and patterns of behavior and how to change them as well as setting and monitoring goals.
Mental health self-assessment as part of a “self-check” to evaluate one’s current difficulties	2.1 Monitoring of behavior by others without feedback 2.2. Feedback on behavior 2.3. Self-monitoring of behavior	Completion of the Warwick-Edinburgh Menta Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) as a “self-check” exercise for interventions 1 and 2. Repeated again in session 2, with the addition of calculating total scores and what “healthy” or average scores (i.e., 50) look like—if substantially lower participants were reminded of the content addressed such as finding support and self-help techniques. Intervention 3 included the WEMWBS as a “self-check” within a leaflet.

Note. CBT = cognitive behavioral therapy; WEMWBS = Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale.