Adolescent mental health is a growing concern, especially among students in international schools who face unique stressors. This pilot study explored the acceptability and preliminary outcomes of the Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) program: a group-based intervention delivered by non-specialists in a Dutch international school. Fourteen adolescents and their caregivers participated in this mixed-methods pre-post study. Quantitative measures assessed emotional distress, coping strategies, and intervention acceptability; qualitative feedback provided further insight. Results showed high acceptability, though implementation challenges such as time constraints were noted. While emotional distress did not significantly decrease, adaptive coping strategies improved (p < .001), with a significant negative correlation between coping and distress (ρ = -.59, p = .026). Findings support EASE’s potential in this context, though further research with larger, controlled studies is needed.

During the presentation, I will give a more thorough explanation of the background of the study, an overview of the method, results and the implications will be discussed.