Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40146675›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2025

A systematic review of sport-based adolescent mental health awareness programmes.

Nora Sullivan, Gavin Breslin, Marian McLaughlin, Stephen Shannon, Gerard Leavey, Martin Dempster

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Nora SullivanSchool of Psychology, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.ORCID 0009-0001-7670-9433
Gavin BreslinSchool of Psychology, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.ORCID 0000-0003-2481-0860
Marian McLaughlinBamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland.
Stephen ShannonBamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland.
Gerard LeaveyBamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland.
Martin DempsterSchool of Psychology, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdolescent mental illness is of increasing concern, with a high prevalence in many parts of the world. Early engagement, detection and receiving support are warranted to reduce the severity of symptoms. Increasing mental health literacy (MHL) through sport to adolescents is one way of engaging young people and signposting them to services. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the effect of interventions, risk of bias, and theoretical application in sport-based adolescent mental health awareness programmes.

methodsSix electronic databases (MEDLINE Ovid, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane) were searched from 2012 to September 2022 (updated January 2024). Inclusion criteria stated the sample had to include adolescents aged 11-17 years, include mental health outcomes, and a sport component.

resultsSix studies met the inclusion criteria. Sample size ranged from nine to 816 participants. Four distinct sport-based programmes were evaluated, with three interventions applying a psychological behaviour change theory. The results of the interventions indicated positive effects on several indices of MHL, such as increased knowledge of mental health, depression and anxiety literacy and the recognition of disorders, increased resilience and intentions to provide help. It was found that addressing stigma remains a challenge. The interventions produced the most significant effects for those who scored lower at baseline measures and the younger cohorts.

conclusionsSport is useful for the engagement and dissemination of mental health awareness information to adolescents. Given the limited number of psychological theory informed interventions, there is a need for further interventions that explicitly adopt behaviour change theories and improve the quality of research design for these interventions. The findings from this review will be of interest to health promotion and public health practitioners and those designing mental health awareness programmes for adolescents. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022312260.

Indexed as

Mental DisordersMental HealthSportsAdolescentChildHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHealth LiteracyHumans

Identifiers

PMID40146675
PMCPMC11949344

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.