SynthesisSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2013
What works where? A systematic review of child and adolescent mental health interventions for low and middle income countries.
Synthesis in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Art Group Interventions for Children With Learning Differences: A Systematic Review.OTJR : occupation, participation and health · 2026Pooled it
- Cross-national research on adolescent mental health: a systematic review comparing research in low, middle and high-income countries.BMJ global health · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Mental Health Gap Action Programme intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC): A Systematic Review.Community mental health journal · 2023Pooled it
- Primary-level worker interventions for the care of people living with mental disorders and distress in low- and middle-income countries.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- The modules of mental health programs implemented in schools in low- and middle-income countries: findings from a systematic literature review.BMC public health · 2020Pooled it
- Psychological and Psychosocial Interventions for PTSD, Depression and Anxiety Among Children and Adolescents in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2019Pooled it
- "Daily Growth" Parenting Program Delivered via Ecological Momentary Intervention: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Prototype.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2026Article
- Research Review: A scoping review exploring the needs, barriers, and facilitators to the collection of biological data in adolescence for mental health research.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2026Review
- Article
- Developing the Creative Abilities of Children with Learning Differences in Rural, Low-Resource Settings in Africa: A Case Series Study.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Article
- Control-Oriented and Escape-Oriented Coping: Links to Social Support and Mental Health in Early Adolescents.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025Article
- Twelve-month prevalence of DSM-5 mental disorders and the psychosocial correlates- a child and adolescent psychiatric epidemiologic survey in Hong Kong SAR.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2025Article
- Factors Associated with Nonspecialist Quality of Delivery within a Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda: a Parallel Latent Growth Model.Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research · 2025Article
- The Challenges and Opportunities for Mental Health Twin Research in Nigeria.Behavior genetics · 2024Article
- Child and adolescent mental health and psychosocial support interventions: An evidence and gap map of low- and middle-income countries.Campbell systematic reviews · 2023Article
- Improving the Scope of Child Mental Health Interventions in Our Modern World.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Multilevel Interventions to Improve Adolescent Mental Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.American journal of public health · 2023Article
- School-based universal mental health promotion intervention for adolescents in Vietnam: Two-arm, parallel, controlled trial.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeChild and adolescent mental health (CAMH) problems are common and serious all over the world and are linked to pre-mature deaths and serious dysfunction in adult life. Effective interventions have been developed in high income countries (HIC), but evidence from low income settings is scarce and scattered. The aim of this paper is to identify the most promising interventions in the area of global CAMH.
methodA systematic review of all randomised controlled trials in CAMH in low and middle income countries (LAMIC) was carried out and supplemented by 1a level evidence from HIC as well as suitable information from child programme evaluations and adult studies in LAMIC.
resultsIn behavioural disorders parent training is a highly promising intervention, which can successfully improve children's compliance and bring down rates of conduct problems significantly. In young children cognitive, emotional and behavioural development can be enhanced through nutritional supplements and by stimulation through play, praise and reading. Trauma treatments can bring positive results even in severely traumatised children, who remain in unstable living conditions. In developmental disorders, there are successful prevention strategies as well as programmes that bring children out of isolation and improve their independence. Some classroom-based interventions for adolescents have reduced symptoms of common mental disorders as well as risk taking behaviours.
conclusionsWhile many results are still tentative the evidence suggests that it is possible to develop affordable and feasible interventions that significantly improve the lives of affected children, their families and their communities around the world.
Indexed as
Identifiers
22961287What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.