Evaluating a Cognitive Behavioral Approach for Improving Life Outcomes of Underserved Young Women: A Randomized Experiment in Chicago, Illinois, 2017-2019

This study explored whether a school-based group
counseling program for adolescent girls, implemented at scale, can mitigate
trauma-related mental health harms. The study was an efficacy
trial of a program specifically designed for girls, conducted in the
third-largest city in the United States of America during the duration of the study. In a randomized trial involving 3,749 Chicago public high school girls, the researchers found that participating in the program for four months induced a 22% reduction in PTSD symptoms, and that there were significant decreases in anxiety and depression. Results included an estimated cost-utility below $150,000 per Quality Adjusted Life Year. The study found evidence suggesting that effects
persist and may increase over time.