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Child and Young People (CYP) mental wellbeing

Interventions for improving wellbeing

This map provides structured access to an up to date, high level, robust body of evidence on the broad topic of the most effective and cost-effective universal or selective group interventions for maintaining and improving the mental wellbeing of CYP up to 18 years of age.

Date of last search: Jan 2024. Next update due: In progress

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Please note, you may need to scroll horizontally to see all the categories of evidence in the table.

	Population Groups
Interventions	11-to-18 years old	5-to-11 years old	5-to-18 years old	Under 5s
Arts and recreation	Arts and recreation - 11-to-18 years old Clarke et al., (2021) Adolescent mental health: A systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions	Arts and recreation - 5-to-11 years old	Arts and recreation - 5-to-18 years old	Arts and recreation - Under 5s Community Preventive Services Task Force Finding and Rationale Statement (2016) Promoting Health Equity Through Education Programs and Policies: Center-Based Early Childhood Education
Behavioural	Behavioural - 11-to-18 years old What Works Clearinghouse (2023) Good Behaviour Game	Behavioural - 5-to-11 years old What Works Clearinghouse (2023) Good Behaviour Game	Behavioural - 5-to-18 years old What Works Clearinghouse (2023) Good Behaviour Game	Behavioural - Under 5s Baxter S et al., (2012) Promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable pre-school children (0–5 years): Systematic review level evidence What Works Clearinghouse (2023) Good Behaviour Game
Community engagement	Community engagement - 11-to-18 years old Langford R et al., (2014) The WHO Health Promoting School framework for improving the health and well‐being of students and their academic achievement.	Community engagement - 5-to-11 years old	Community engagement - 5-to-18 years old	Community engagement - Under 5s
Curriculum-based intervention	Curriculum-based intervention - 11-to-18 years old National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022) Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education, NG223 Langford R et al., (2014) The WHO Health Promoting School framework for improving the health and well‐being of students and their academic achievement. What Works Clearinghouse (2023) Good Behaviour Game	Curriculum-based intervention - 5-to-11 years old National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022) Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education, NG223 Adi Y et al., (2007) Systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to promote mental wellbeing in children in primary education. Report 1: Universal approaches: non-violence related outcomes. Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews What Works Clearinghouse (2023) Good Behaviour Game	Curriculum-based intervention - 5-to-18 years old What Works Clearinghouse (2023) Good Behaviour Game	Curriculum-based intervention - Under 5s Community Preventive Services Task Force Finding and Rationale Statement (2016) Promoting Health Equity Through Education Programs and Policies: Center-Based Early Childhood Education What Works Clearinghouse (2023) Good Behaviour Game
Health promotion education	Health promotion education - 11-to-18 years old Langford R et al., (2014) The WHO Health Promoting School framework for improving the health and well‐being of students and their academic achievement.	Health promotion education - 5-to-11 years old	Health promotion education - 5-to-18 years old	Health promotion education - Under 5s
Multicomponent Interventions	Multicomponent Interventions - 11-to-18 years old National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022) Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education, NG223 Clarke et al., (2021) Adolescent mental health: A systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions	Multicomponent Interventions - 5-to-11 years old National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022) Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education, NG223	Multicomponent Interventions - 5-to-18 years old	Multicomponent Interventions - Under 5s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2012) Social and emotional wellbeing: early years. PH40 Community Preventive Services Task Force Finding and Rationale Statement (2016) Promoting Health Equity Through Education Programs and Policies: Center-Based Early Childhood Education
Pastoral	Pastoral - 11-to-18 years old Clarke et al., (2021) Adolescent mental health: A systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions	Pastoral - 5-to-11 years old	Pastoral - 5-to-18 years old	Pastoral - Under 5s
Psychoeducation	Psychoeducation - 11-to-18 years old Clarke AM et al., (2015) What works in enhancing social and emotional skills development during childhood and adolescence? A review of the evidence on the effectiveness of school-based and out-of-school programmes in the UK. A report produced by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Resear Clarke et al., (2021) Adolescent mental health: A systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions	Psychoeducation - 5-to-11 years old Clarke AM et al., (2015) What works in enhancing social and emotional skills development during childhood and adolescence? A review of the evidence on the effectiveness of school-based and out-of-school programmes in the UK. A report produced by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Resear	Psychoeducation - 5-to-18 years old	Psychoeducation - Under 5s Clarke AM et al., (2015) What works in enhancing social and emotional skills development during childhood and adolescence? A review of the evidence on the effectiveness of school-based and out-of-school programmes in the UK. A report produced by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Resear Community Preventive Services Task Force Finding and Rationale Statement (2016) Promoting Health Equity Through Education Programs and Policies: Center-Based Early Childhood Education
Psychosocial interventions	Psychosocial interventions - 11-to-18 years old Clarke et al., (2021) Adolescent mental health: A systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions Featherston R et al., (2024) Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents	Psychosocial interventions - 5-to-11 years old Featherston R et al., (2024) Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents	Psychosocial interventions - 5-to-18 years old Featherston R et al., (2024) Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents	Psychosocial interventions - Under 5s Featherston R et al., (2024) Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents
Psychotherapy	Psychotherapy - 11-to-18 years old Clarke et al., (2021) Adolescent mental health: A systematic review on the effectiveness of school-based interventions	Psychotherapy - 5-to-11 years old Shucksmith J et al., (2007) Mental wellbeing of children in primary education (targeted/indicated activities). In Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet]. Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (UK).	Psychotherapy - 5-to-18 years old	Psychotherapy - Under 5s Barrow J et al., (2015) Parent-infant psychotherapy for improving parental and infant mental health: a systematic review.
Relational intervention	Relational intervention - 11-to-18 years old Valentine JC et al., (2019) Families and Schools Together (FAST) for improving outcomes for children and their families. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2021) Looked-after children and young people NG205	Relational intervention - 5-to-11 years old Valentine JC et al., (2019) Families and Schools Together (FAST) for improving outcomes for children and their families. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2021) Looked-after children and young people NG205	Relational intervention - 5-to-18 years old	Relational intervention - Under 5s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2012) Social and emotional wellbeing: early years. PH40 Valentine JC et al., (2019) Families and Schools Together (FAST) for improving outcomes for children and their families. Barrow J et al., (2015) Parent-infant psychotherapy for improving parental and infant mental health: a systematic review.
Service provision	Service provision - 11-to-18 years old Barnett, T et al., (2023) Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition	Service provision - 5-to-11 years old Barnett, T et al., (2023) Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition	Service provision - 5-to-18 years old Barnett, T et al., (2023) Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition	Service provision - Under 5s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2012) Social and emotional wellbeing: early years. PH40 Baxter S et al., (2012) Promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable pre-school children (0–5 years): Systematic review level evidence Community Preventive Services Task Force Finding and Rationale Statement (2016) Promoting Health Equity Through Education Programs and Policies: Center-Based Early Childhood Education Brown T. W et al., (2014) Centre‐based day care for children younger than five years of age in high‐income countries Strobel et al., (2022) Family-centred interventions for Indigenous early childhood well-being by primary healthcare services Barnett, T et al., (2023) Education support services for improving school engagement and academic performance of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition
Skills training	Skills training - 11-to-18 years old Featherston R et al., (2024) Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents	Skills training - 5-to-11 years old Featherston R et al., (2024) Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents	Skills training - 5-to-18 years old Featherston R et al., (2024) Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents	Skills training - Under 5s Featherston R et al., (2024) Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents

Child and Young People (CYP) mental wellbeing

Interventions for improving wellbeing

Population Groups

Interventions

Arts and recreation - 11-to-18 years old

Arts and recreation - 5-to-11 years old

Arts and recreation - 5-to-18 years old

Arts and recreation - Under 5s

Behavioural - 11-to-18 years old

Behavioural - 5-to-11 years old

Behavioural - 5-to-18 years old

Behavioural - Under 5s

Community engagement - 11-to-18 years old

Community engagement - 5-to-11 years old

Community engagement - 5-to-18 years old

Community engagement - Under 5s

Curriculum-based intervention - 11-to-18 years old

Curriculum-based intervention - 5-to-11 years old

Curriculum-based intervention - 5-to-18 years old

Curriculum-based intervention - Under 5s

Health promotion education - 11-to-18 years old

Health promotion education - 5-to-11 years old

Health promotion education - 5-to-18 years old

Health promotion education - Under 5s

Multicomponent Interventions - 11-to-18 years old

Multicomponent Interventions - 5-to-11 years old

Multicomponent Interventions - 5-to-18 years old

Multicomponent Interventions - Under 5s

Pastoral - 11-to-18 years old

Pastoral - 5-to-11 years old

Pastoral - 5-to-18 years old

Pastoral - Under 5s

Psychoeducation - 11-to-18 years old

Psychoeducation - 5-to-11 years old

Psychoeducation - 5-to-18 years old

Psychoeducation - Under 5s

Psychosocial interventions - 11-to-18 years old

Psychosocial interventions - 5-to-11 years old

Psychosocial interventions - 5-to-18 years old

Psychosocial interventions - Under 5s

Psychotherapy - 11-to-18 years old

Psychotherapy - 5-to-11 years old

Psychotherapy - 5-to-18 years old

Psychotherapy - Under 5s

Relational intervention - 11-to-18 years old

Relational intervention - 5-to-11 years old

Relational intervention - 5-to-18 years old

Relational intervention - Under 5s

Service provision - 11-to-18 years old

Service provision - 5-to-11 years old

Service provision - 5-to-18 years old

Service provision - Under 5s

Skills training - 11-to-18 years old

Skills training - 5-to-11 years old

Skills training - 5-to-18 years old

Skills training - Under 5s