SynthesisPloS one2020
Long-term outcomes of psychological interventions on children and young people's mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 3 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
26 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Universal interventions to improve young children's mental well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychological bulletin · 2026Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Preventative Interventions to Reduce Mental Health Problems in at-risk Children and Young People: A Systematic Review of Reviews.Journal of prevention (2022) · 2024Pooled it
- Evidence-based long term interventions targeting acute mental health presentations for children and adolescents: systematic review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Benefits of fresh strawberries consumption from Huelva in primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Caregiver Views of Communication Barriers Within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Children With and Without Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).Clinical child psychology and psychiatry · 2026Article
- The role of schools in mental health promotion and prevention: a document analysis of Swedish local mental health policies.Health promotion international · 2026Article
- Advancing intervention science in child and youth mental health: from mechanisms to scalable care.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Sustained engagement with a digital youth mental health platform: A mixed-methods study.Internet interventions · 2026Article
- Article
- Prospective associations between stressful life course events and clusters of lifestyle behaviours.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics associated with mental health-related support and service contact in children and young people aged 5-16 in England.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2025Article
- Children and young people's consultation rates for psychosocial problems between 2016 and 2021 in the Netherlands.The European journal of general practice · 2024Article
- Implementing mental health support teams in schools and colleges: the perspectives of programme implementers and service providers.Journal of mental health (Abingdon, England) · 2024Article
- Scale-up of Global Child and Youth Mental Health Services: A Scoping Review.Administration and policy in mental health · 2024Article
- Long-term effects of psychosocial interventions for adolescents on depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.EClinicalMedicine · 2024Article
- The impact of area level mental health interventions on outcomes for secondary school pupils: Evidence from the HeadStart programme in England.Economics of education review · 2023Article
- Interventions for Young Children's Mental Health: A Review of Reviews.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2023Review
- State of the Evidence for Use of Psychotropic Medications in School-Age Youth.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOver 600 RCTs have demonstrated the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for children and young people's mental health, but little is known about the long-term outcomes. This systematic review sought to establish whether the effects of selective and indicated interventions were sustained at 12 months.
methodWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on studies reporting medium term outcomes (12 months after end of intervention).
findingsWe identified 138 trials with 12-month follow-up data, yielding 165 comparisons, 99 of which also reported outcomes at end of intervention, yielding 117 comparisons. We found evidence of effect relative to control at end of intervention (K = 115, g = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.30-0.47 I2 = 84.19%, N = 13,982) which was maintained at 12 months (K = 165, g = 0.31, CI: 0.25-0.37, I2 = 77.35%, N = 25,652) across a range of diagnostic groups. We explored the impact of potential moderators on outcome, including modality, format and intensity of intervention, selective or indicated intervention, site of delivery, professional/para-professional and fidelity of delivery. We assessed both risk of study bias and publication bias.
conclusionsPsychosocial interventions provided in a range of settings by professionals and paraprofessionals can deliver lasting benefits. High levels of heterogeneity, moderate to high risk of bias for most studies and evidence of publication bias require caution in interpreting the results. Lack of studies in diagnostic groups such as ADHD and self-harm limit the conclusions that can be drawn. Programmes that increase such interventions' availability are justified by the benefits to children and young people and the decreased likelihood of disorder in adulthood.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What 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.