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Community-Based Prevention Programs for Anxiety and Depression in Youth: A Systematic Review

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Abstract

Little is known about the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention programs for young people and adolescents once they leave or dropout from school. The effectiveness of 18 anxiety and 26 depression studies addressing prevention in community programs were identified using systematic review methodology. Anxiety and depression symptoms were reduced in ~60% of the programs. Cognitive behavioral therapy programs were more common than other interventions and were consistently found to lower symptoms or prevent depression or anxiety. Automated or computerized interventions showed promise, with 60% of anxiety programs and 83% of depression programs yielding successful outcomes on at least one measure. Further research is needed to determine the active components of successful programs, to explore cost-effectiveness and scalability factors, to investigate individual predictors of successful outcome, and to design best practice prevention programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

    Helen Christensen & Alison L. Calear

  2. Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia

    Emma Pallister, Stephanie Smale & Ian B. Hickie

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  1. Helen Christensen
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  2. Emma Pallister
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  3. Stephanie Smale
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  4. Ian B. Hickie
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Correspondence to Helen Christensen.

Appendix A

Appendix A

Prevention Focus of the Study

Score of A

  • Clearly stated as a prevention trial

  • Clearly stated as intending to reduce anxiety/depression disorders (even though outcomes may be symptom based)

  • Anxiety/depression measures were the main/primary outcome measures

Score of B

  • May not be explicitly called a prevention trial—but at least an implied sense of reducing anxiety/depression disorders on a long-term basis

  • Anxiety/depression measures were part of the main/primary outcome measures

Score of C

  • May not be explicitly called a prevention trial—but one of the stated goals is to reduce anxiety/depression symptoms (sometimes with a notion of pre-existing symptoms—and sometimes measured using state anxiety measures)

  • May state that a main aim is improving general mental health rather than anxiety/depression per se—but anxiety/depression are still explicitly discussed

  • Anxiety/depression measures are part of the main outcome measures, though there may be others too

Score of D

  • May not be explicitly called a prevention trial—but the improvement of anxiety/depression or general mental health is stated in the aims/goals of the study (though secondary to other aims)

  • Anxiety/depression measures are secondary outcome measures, though anxiety/depression symptoms are explicitly referred to in the text

Score of E

  • May not be explicitly called a prevention trial

  • They have anxiety/depression outcome measures—but don’t specifically talk about reducing anxiety/depression in the text

  • Anxiety/depression are secondary outcome measures.

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Christensen, H., Pallister, E., Smale, S. et al. Community-Based Prevention Programs for Anxiety and Depression in Youth: A Systematic Review. J Primary Prevent 31, 139–170 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-010-0214-8

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