Michelson 2020.

Methods	Randomised controlled trial
Participants	Inclusion criteria 1. Student age 12 to 20 years (grades 9 through 12) 2. SDQ Total Difficulties Scale ≥19 for boys and ≥ 20 for girls 3. SDQ Impact Scale ≥ 2 4. Written assent (age < 18 years) 5. Written consent (age ≥ 18; parent or guardian) Exclusion criteria 1. Needing urgent medical attention 2. Receiving another mental health intervention 3. Previously taken part in PRemIum for aDolEscents research programme (PRIDE) feasibility studies 4. Receptive or expressive difficulties
Interventions	Intervention Brief counsellor‐led problem‐solving intervention with supporting printed materials: participants received 4 to 5 face‐to‐face 30‐minute problem‐solving sessions over 2 to 3 weeks on school premises in private rooms or behind screens in relatively quiet areas. Principles of therapy included problem identification (“P”), option generation (“O”), and implementation (“Do it”). Accompanying booklets and assignments were given. Sessions were delivered by lay counsellors ‐ Hindi‐speaking college graduates with no previous formal mental health training who had gone through a 5‐day training session and a 6‐week period of supervised practice, and 3 additional monthly training sessions during the trial. They were supervised weekly by a counsellor, a psychologist, and a supervisor Control Problem‐solving via printed booklets alone: participants received problem‐solving booklets and were encouraged to read through and complete the assignments. No additional counsellor input was given
Outcomes	Primary outcomes (adolescent‐reported) 1. Severity of mental health  symptoms: SDQ total difficulties score at 6 weeks 2. Severity of self‐defined psychosocial problems: Youth Top Problems score at 6 weeks Secondary outcomes (adolescent‐reported) 1. SDQ total difficulties score at 12 weeks 2. YTP score at 12 weeks 3. Distress and functional impairment (SDQ Impact score) at 12 weeks 4. Peer relationship problems and emotional symptoms (SDQ Internalising symptoms subscale score) at 12 weeks 5. Conduct problems and hyperactivity and inattention (SDQ Externalising symptoms subscale score) at 12 weeks 6. Perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale ‐ 4‐item version) 7. Well‐being (Short Warwick‐Edinburgh Mental Well‐being Scale) at 12 weeks 8. Remission (defined as becoming SDQ < 19 for boys and < 20 for girls and becoming SDQ Impact score < 2) at 12 weeks Exploratory outcomes 1. Caregiver‐reported SDQ scores (total difficulties, impact, internalising sub‐scale, externalising sub‐scale) 2. Adolescent‐reported SDQ prosocial sub‐scale score
Notes	Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03630471 Funding by Wellcome Trust