Study setting and population
This study entailed analyses of a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) that evaluates whether Stepping Stones and Creating Futures (SS/CF) reduces poor mental health among young men (18–30 years) in informal settlements. Clusters were identified by areas within informal settlements that were demarcated by pre-existing divisions or partitions such as natural barriers (e.g. a major road or waterway). The two-arm randomized controlled trial took place in urban informal settlements in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province and was conducted in collaboration with Project Empower (a local NGO that works to address gender-based violence). With over three million residents (