Speaker
Description
Background: The project aimed to synthesise the processes, theory, outcomes and implementation of school-based indicated interventions. Indicated interventions attempt to prevent the first onset of anxiety and depression in at-risk children and adolescents. Effectiveness reviews show indicated interventions can decrease students’ anxiety and depression symptoms, and, for depression, that targeted interventions are more effective than universal approaches. However, there is limited synthesis of other key intervention elements which can support the understanding of these programmes for replication and adaptation purposes.
Method: Scoping review methodology was used to synthesise the global evidence on indicated interventions for adolescent mental health. Seven electronic bibliographic databases, cross- referencing with relevant systematic reviews, and consultation with a panel of experts returned 15,013 unique papers. Two reviewers screened titles, abstracts and then full papers resulting in 56 studies of 39 interventions. These have been charted, visually mapped and a content analysis was used to produce narrative summaries in line with scoping review methodology.
Results: The results will elaborate on the following three areas. Firstly, an overview of intervention types and screening processes utilised will further understanding of which adolescents are included and excluded in these interventions. Secondly, intervention theory will be discussed focusing on the components and mechanisms of change targeted to prevent anxiety and depression. Lastly, delivery agents and primary outcomes will be detailed.
Discussion: Screening processes included a variety of screening tools, inclusion cutoffs, and a large and varied range of exclusion criteria which resulted in different populations being targeted. Furthermore, theoretical underpinnings were not always explicitly elaborated as intervention descriptions focused on processes and outcomes rather than the change mechanisms targeted. The latter could be addressed by reporting interventions following the template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) guidance and is necessary for informed intervention selection when choosing interventions to adapt.
| Conflict of interest | There are no conflicts of interest. |
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