Factors Contributing to the Efficacy of Universal Mental Health and Wellbeing Programs in Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Differences in approaches used to deliver school-based mental health and wellbeing programs may be a key consideration for program effectiveness, yet this has not been considered in reviews and meta-analyses to date. Consistent with previous research, this systematic review of 47 studies found that wellbeing programs delivered in schools tended to show small effect sizes for mental health and wellbeing outcomes with effects often not sustained. The review considered the influence of various program factors on effectiveness, and consistent with previous findings, program-based factors like theoretical framework, program length, and session duration did not show reliable patterns for influencing effectiveness. In contrast, pedagogical factors aimed at increasing participant engagement (e.g., using student-centred and active learning approaches), appear more closely linked to improved mental health and wellbeing outcomes. This review has shown that universal programs can be effective in producing better mental health and wellbeing outcomes in secondary school settings when participant engagement is maximised.

Effects of three prophylactic interventions on French middle-schoolers’ mental health: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…Active participation is assumed to foster focused attention [ 232 ] and deep information construction, manipulation [ 45 , 137 , 180 ], and retrieval [ 23 , 209 ]). Giving participants an active learning in learning content has been identified as an important learning factor, in both educational and clinical settings (e.g., [ 55 , 84 , 186 ]. Large group and small group activities are also used to promote exchanges and both expert and peer modeling and exchanges [ 59 , 84 , 224 ].…”

“…In clinical and developmental psychology, interventions that are implemented prior to the emergence, prolongation, or aggravation of difficulties, in order to prevent or reduce symptoms, promote wellbeing [ 183 ], or both, can be labeled as prophylactic [ 169 ]. To date, prophylactic interventions aimed at adolescents have yielded encouraging results in terms of reducing symptoms (e.g., [ 69 , 134 , 186 , 204 , 208 ]) and increasing wellbeing (e.g., [ 134 , 162 , 181 ]). Furthermore, these interventions appear to be more effective in middle-schoolers than in high-schoolers [ 220 ].…”

Effects of three prophylactic interventions on French middle-schoolers' mental health: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…Active participation is assumed to foster focused attention (Wyman et al, 2021) and deep information construction, manipulation (Chi & Wylie, 2014;Mayer, 2002;Rudolph, 2017), and retrieval (Bjork & Bjork, 1992;Tenison et al, 2016Tenison et al, , 2016. Giving participants an active learning in learning content has been identi ed as an important learning factor, in both educational and clinical settings (e.g., Conley et al, 2015;Gauthier et al, 2013;Scholz et al, 2023).…”

“…Large group and small group activities are also used to promote exchanges and both expert and peer modeling and where peers exert particular in uence (Sauter et al, 2009). Moreover, activities will allow students to apply the tools they have learned to their own, relevant, real-life situations, to enhance personalization and appropriation in learning (Klim, 2022;Michelson et al, 2020;Scholz et al, 2023). Finally, participants will be asked to complete home assignments that reproduce in-session activities in new real-life personal situations, to further support repeated learning, transfer, and automatization (Bressoux, 2022;Gauthier et al, 2013;Kazantzis et al, 2018).…”

Current evidence and opportunities in child and adolescent public mental health: a research review

“…Interventions that focus on developing intrapersonal skills primarily address the individual's thoughts and feelings. These interventions can fit well within a school context, where they can be embedded in lessons, ideally with a participatory pedagogical approach (Scholz, Taylor, & Strelan, 2023). It is therefore no surprise that there have been numerous different attempts to build these intrapersonal skills (Tejada‐Gallardo, Blasco‐Belled, Torrelles‐Nadal, & Alsinet, 2020).…”