We announced the program, and then invited the children and parents for screening after they had expressed interest and parents had signed informed consent. The program was described and presented to all children in fifth grade (9- and 10-year-olds) in a rural public school in Norway, and the children were informed that only those who were considered to be experiencing more sadness or anxiety as reported by self-report measures compared to their peers would receive an invitation to participate in the program. If effective, this recruitment procedure would be sustainable. Children and parents
were invited separately: The literature shows some disagreement between children’s self-ratings and parents judgments. A significant number of parents may not be aware of their children’s worries and concerns (Martin,Ford, Dyer-Friedman, Tang, & Huffman, 2004). By inviting the children, we wanted to assure that we reached as many children in need as possible.