Table 1 Components of the 4STMF intervention package

Interventionists/delivery agents

• Registered counsellors/masters-level psychology students with 1–2 years of research experience and who attended training on the intervention package; masters-level psychology students with 1–2 years of research experience who will act as observers and conduct fidelity checks

Structure of intervention package

• Eight × 20–25-min sessions, delivered over 4 to 8 weeks (delivered either weekly or twice weekly depending on fit with school)

Structure of sessions

• The programme is split into 4 steps — and each step contains 2 lessons. Participants in the immediate intervention group (IIG) and the delayed intervention group (DIG) receive the intervention

Step 1 lesson 1

• Introduction to 4STMF (5 min)

• Self-esteem and respect (10 min)

• Remember your strengths (6 min)

• Home task saying my strengths out loud each morning (4 min)

Step 1 lesson 2

• Recap of the previous session (5 min)

• Accept who you are (10 min)

• Be kind to yourself and others (6 min)

• Home task spreading kindness (4 min)

Step 2 lesson 3

• Recap step 1, value who you are (10 min)

• The way you think (10 min)

• Home task recognising my STOP and GO thoughts (5 min)

Step 2 lesson 4

• Recap of the previous session (5 min)

• GO thinking (10 min)

• Home task and identification of GO thoughts (10 min)

Step 3 lesson 5

• Recap step 2, thinking that I can (5 min)

• Recognise how you feel (15 min)

• Home task how I feel (5 min)

Step 3 lesson 6

• Recap of the previous session (5 min)

• Helping yourself to feel better (15 min)

• Home task and practice (5 min)

Step 4 lesson 7

• Recap step 3, and practice relaxation (5 min)

• My goals (15 min)

• Home task my goals (5 min)

Step 4 lesson 8

• Recap of the previous session (5 min)

• Problem solving (15 min)

• Recap and ending (5 min)

 Structure and format

• Once-off × 6–7 h of facilitator training with lead implementer; either online or in person. The training takes place over 2 days.

 Training content

• Training content includes an overview of core components of CBT, an overview of programme development, orientation to session content, and role playing of lessons; orientation to measures and fidelity checks

 Characteristics of supervisor(s)

• Counselling psychologist registered with the HPCSA with more than 5 years counselling experience and experience in CBT-based interventions; post-doctoral researcher with more than 5 years of CBT intervention delivery experience

 Structure of supervision and debriefing

• Counselling psychologist and post-doctoral researcher meet with intervention implementers in person or online/telephonic, once after the completion of each step of the programme (so once after two sessions have been delivered). As such 4 × 1-h supervision debriefing sessions

• An hour session of debriefing/supervision which entails reflections on the delivery and adherence and challenges with delivery and content

• Research group debriefing (core research team and implementers), once-off after the delivery of 8 sessions at each of the schools