A Multilevel Prevention Program for Depressive and Anxious Symptoms: Factors That Influence Decisions to Participate and Efficacy

The rise in depressive and anxious symptoms in postsecondary students has marked a significant increase in demand for mental services. In a context of limited resources, multilevel approaches are recommended. The present study examines the predictive link between demographic factors, depressive and anxious symptoms, and acquired learning, following a universal prevention (UP) intervention, and the choice to actively participate or not in a targeted prevention (TP) intervention. The study utilized binary logistic regression and focused on 967 symptomatic postsecondary students. Results showed that higher weekly work hours diminished the likelihood of participating, whereas higher academic goals increased the likelihood. In addition, we examined whether baseline sociodemographic factors moderated the efficacy of the TP intervention. Mother's education level was a significant moderator but not weekly work hours, study hours, or grades. The current study highlights the varied ways in which sociodemographic characteristics influence participation and efficacy of prevention interventions.