School-based Mental Health and Wellbeing in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review
Abstract
Background Adolescent mental disorders affect approximately 15% of young people worldwide with a stark rise in mental health difficulties in secondary school age children over the past decade. Need for psychological support exceeds available provision and is exacerbated by staffing shortages. Schools are key settings for mental health and wellbeing (MHWB) support. This umbrella review synthesises evidence on school-based MHWB interventions in secondary schools, aiming to map and evaluate outcomes and intervention approaches on a tiered framework.
Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of reviews on school-based MHWB interventions was conducted. Data were extracted on intervention type, delivery mode, and outcomes. Reviews including broader age ranges (4-25 years) were considered, with a specific focus on adolescents.
Results After screening 478 studies, 33 reviews published between 2014 and 2024 were included, covering programmes for adolescents aged 12-18 years. Social and emotional learning (SEL) programmes were most effective when implemented as whole-school approaches. Targeted interventions produced the largest gains for high-risk students, while universal programmes were more common in younger age groups. Preventive interventions delivered by specialists showed stronger effects, whereas universal programmes were more effective when delivered by school staff. Findings support a stepped-care model aligning MHWB support to student need. However, despite policy recommendations, implementation remains inconsistent.
Conclusions Effective MHWB provision in schools requires culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate, and scalable approaches. A tiered framework matching support to student need is recommended. Future research should explore digital delivery, scalability, and sustainability of school-based MHWB initiatives.
Keywords: Adolescent mental health; School-based interventions; Social and emotional learning; Stepped care; Secondary schools; Preventive interventions; Digital mental health.
Related
- Informal carers’ experiences of mental health services regarding supporting those they care for and getting support for their own wellbeing: A systematic umbrella review of qualitative evidence
- Learning from neurodivergent students about their mental health and wellbeing during transition to secondary school: A systematic review.
- Association between physical and mental health in school-going adolescents: Sex-specific patterns of maladjustment in formative years of life
- Collaborative Outcomes Study on Health and Functioning During Infection Times (COH-FIT): Global and Risk-Group Stratified Course of Well-Being and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents
- Prevalence of common mental health disorders and associated factors among adolescents and young people living with HIV in Lusaka, Zambia
BibTeX
@misc{droomer2026schoolbased,
title = {{School-based Mental Health and Wellbeing in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review}},
author = {René Droomer and Colin M Gorman and Emily McGlinchey},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/zsna4_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/zsna4_v1/},
note = {CC0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - School-based Mental Health and Wellbeing in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review
AU - René Droomer
AU - Colin M Gorman
AU - Emily McGlinchey
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/zsna4_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/zsna4_v1/
AB - Background Adolescent mental disorders affect approximately 15% of young people worldwide with a stark rise in mental health difficulties in secondary school age children over the past decade. Need for psychological support exceeds available provision and is exacerbated by staffing shortages. Schools are key settings for mental health and wellbeing (MHWB) support. This umbrella review synthesises evidence on school-based MHWB interventions in secondary schools, aiming to map and evaluate outcomes and intervention approaches on a tiered framework. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of reviews on school-based MHWB interventions was conducted. Data were extracted on intervention type, delivery mode, and outcomes. Reviews including broader age ranges (4-25 years) were considered, with a specific focus on adolescents. Results After screening 478 studies, 33 reviews published between 2014 and 2024 were included, covering programmes for adolescents aged 12-18 years. Social and emotional learning (SEL) programmes were most effective when implemented as whole-school approaches. Targeted interventions produced the largest gains for high-risk students, while universal programmes were more common in younger age groups. Preventive interventions delivered by specialists showed stronger effects, whereas universal programmes were more effective when delivered by school staff. Findings support a stepped-care model aligning MHWB support to student need. However, despite policy recommendations, implementation remains inconsistent. Conclusions Effective MHWB provision in schools requires culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate, and scalable approaches. A tiered framework matching support to student need is recommended. Future research should explore digital delivery, scalability, and sustainability of school-based MHWB initiatives. Keywords: Adolescent mental health; School-based interventions; Social and emotional learning; Stepped care; Secondary schools; Preventive interventions; Digital mental health.
ER -