CONCLUSIONS
The findings from this study add to the evidence base on the impacts of low‐intensity psychosocial interventions for common adolescent mental health problems and underlying change processes. Participants in two low‐intensity problem‐solving intervention formats described a range of symptomatic and functional improvements driven by changes in underlying problem orientation and problem‐solving skills. Participants in the counsellor‐led format valued a directive approach to learning and applying problem solving, which appeared to help with generalizing problem‐solving skills beyond the original focal problems. Although there was a general preference among adolescents that favoured more human support, the findings also showed that even a one‐off interaction with a trusted adult can have motivating effects and enhance the credibility of self‐directed materials. Future work is needed to understand how to optimize the amount of human support available in first‐line interventions, and thus inform decision‐making about when and how to offer more intensive support (e.g. for participants with refractory problems).