Table 3.

Scientific evidence of the youth readiness intervention in Sierra Leone

Study	Sample and design	Results
YRI Pilot trial  (Newnham et al., 2015)	Pre-post-test design with a sample of 32 conflict-affected youth in Sierra Leone ages 15–24 years.	The results suggested that the YRI was acceptable and feasible. The results indicated a reduction in internalizing and externalizing symptoms, improved daily functioning, and emotion regulation, with an average effect size of d = 0.64.
YRI Randomized Controlled Trial (Betancourt et al., 2014)	Pre, post-, 6-month, and 8-month follow-up design with a sample of 436 conflict-affected youth in Sierra Leone ages 15–24 years.	The results indicated that after the intervention, prosocial behaviors, emotion regulation, and social support improved. Additionally, the study showed a decrease in school dropouts and an improvement in behavior within the classrooms.
YRI with Entrepreneurship Training (ENTR) (Freeman et al., 2024)	Cluster randomized design. Clusters were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 1) YRI+ENTR, 2) ENTR, and 3) Control. Data were collected at baseline, midline ((6–7 weeks after baseline), and at endline (8–9 weeks after baseline). The sample consisted of 1,151 conflict-affected youth in Sierra Leone ages 18–30 years.	The results showed that youth who received the YRI and ENTR showed significantly greater improvements in mental health, daily functioning, and labor market outcomes compared to youth who only received ENTR and compared to control youth.