School-based interventions to prevent anxiety and depression in children and young people: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Publication date: Available online 14 November 2019Source: The Lancet PsychiatryAuthor(s): Deborah M Caldwell, Sarah R Davies, Sarah E Hetrick, Jennifer C Palmer, Paola Caro, José A López-López, David Gunnell, Judi Kidger, James Thomas, Clare French, Emily Stockings, Rona Campbell, Nicky J WeltonSummaryBackgroundRates of anxiety and depression are increasing among children and young people. Recent policies have focused on primary prevention of mental disorders in children and young people, with schools at the forefront of implementation. There is limited information for the comparative effectiveness of the multiple interventions available.MethodsWe did a systematic review and network meta-analysis, searching MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials for published and unpublished, passive and active-controlled randomised and quasi-randomised trials. We included educational setting-based, universal, or targeted interventions in which the primary aim was the prevention of anxiety and depression in children and young people aged 4–18 years. Primary outcomes were post-intervention self-report anxiety and depression, wellbeing, suicidal ideation, or self-harm. We assessed risk of bias following the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We estimated standardised mean differences (SMD) using random effects network meta-analysis in a Bayesian framework. The study is registered with PROPSERO, number CRD42016048184.Findings15...
Source: The Lancet Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research