A systematic narrative review of subjective well‐being promotion intervention programmes in the school setting

Abstract

Given the growing number of interventions aimed at promoting well‐being in the school setting, this narrative review sought to synthesise available evidence about the characteristics of the interventions: theoretical components, evaluation designs and their reported results. Two electronic databases (EBSCO and Scopus) were searched, and articles published between 2015 and 2020 were included. A total of 1477 articles were identified from these search engines and based on the systematic scrutinising process a total of 55 articles were included in the review. Only one‐third of the studies employed experimental, causal designs. Therefore, the review is unable to make conclusive statements about promising approaches, Nevertheless, the results show that the majority of interventions used to promote school children's well‐being were based on positive psychology, most of which were focused on promoting positive emotions. The studies reviewed also suggest that longer interventions, with a higher number of sessions, which are targeted at multiple components of positive emotions are more likely to yield positive results. Almost all these studies were carried out in developed countries, with only one empirical work in Latin America. Therefore, more robust experimental studies using causal designs are needed, and more empirical work is needed in low‐ and middle‐income countries on effective practices in developing children's subjective well‐being.

A scoping review of the implementation and cultural adaptation of school-based mental health promotion and prevention interventions in low-and middle-income countries

“…A total of 27 studies evaluating 25 school-based mental health interventions were identified. Although the studies spanned a wide geographical area consistent with other reviews (Barry et al, 2013 ; Chuecas et al, 2022 ), a small number (N = 4) were from low-income countries. The increasing number of programmes with a mental health promotion focus and the number of interventions implemented in primary schools (N = 8) is encouraging and highlights the feasibility of implementing school-based programmes in LMIC settings.…”

“…Schools form a critical part of the socio-ecological system within which young people’s mental health develops and are therefore an important setting for mental health promotion (WHO, 2009 , 2014 ; Barry et al, 2019 ). Universal skill-based interventions (Skeen et al, 2019 ; Singla et al, 2020 ; Chuecas et al, 2022 ) and social and emotional learning programmes (Durlak et al, 2011 ; Taylor et al, 2017 ) in schools promote positive behaviours and relationships, improve mental health and can improve academic performance; while mental health literacy interventions can encourage help-seeking behaviours and decrease stigma among students and school staff (Kelly et al, 2007 ; Yamaguchi et al, 2020 ). Additionally, since schools can be home to risk factors for poor mental health such as bullying and academic stress, school-based primary prevention programmes (universal, selective and indicated) can reduce the risk of mental ill-health (Harrison et al, 2022 ).…”

“…A research gap exists in the context of school-based mental health promotion and prevention interventions in LMICs as much of the available robust evidence is from HICs (Das et al, 2016 ; Peterson et al, 2016 ; Chuecas et al, 2022 ). Although recent literature suggests an increase in reporting on implementation in HICs (Dowling and Barry, 2020 ), few studies use quantifiable measures and/or report on all five domains of implementation (Hagermoser Sanetti and Fallon, 2011 ; Bruhn et al, 2015 ; Singla et al, 2020 ).…”

“…While RCTs are considered the gold standard in assessing the internal validity of programmes, a mixed methods approach to evaluation can better determine their external validity (McQueen, 2001 ). A grey literature search and the inclusion of all study designs is important in the context of research from LMICs, to allow for a more complete mapping of the evidence, especially with regard to the implementation process and cultural adaptation of interventions (Gimba et al, 2020 ; Chuecas et al, 2022 ).…”

O is for Awesome: National Survey of New Zealand School-Based Well-being and Mental Health Interventions

“…The quality of services is usually improved by having well-communicated program goals, rationale and components, provision of feedback on program effects, well-development plans to overcome implementation barriers and specification of individual responsibilities (Greenberg et al, 2005;Payne et al, 2006). Previous reviews (Rones & Hoagwood, 2000;Chuecas et al, 2022) have identified that programs designed to address specific behaviours (e.g. depression, substance use and conduct problems), with multiple components, and those that are developmentally appropriate and better integrated achieve better outcomes.…”