Effectiveness of School-Based Psycho-Educational Interventions in Preventing Sub-clinical Anxiety and Stress in Adolescents

Adolescence represents a crucial period of development, during which exposure to stress can significantly impact mental and physical health. As such, school based psychoeducational interventions aimed at reducing stress may hold promise for promoting adolescents’ wellbeing. In the current study, a literature review was conducted using PubMed and PsychInfo databases to evaluate school-based psychoeducational interventions that target sub-clinical anxiety and stress in healthy adolescents. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising six primary and five secondary studies. Cognitive-behavioural therapy demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety symptoms and improvements in emotional regulation. Mindfulness-based interventionsalleviated physiological stress, while physical activity programs such as yoga, showed potential in improving psychological well-being, albeit with limited evidence.. Findings on the duration of interventions were mixed, with some meta-analyses indicating larger effects for longer or higher intensity programs, while limited evidence suggests caregiver involvement may enhance outcomes. Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term effectiveness of these interventions and examining their applicability across diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts. Although harms were not identified within the studies included in this review, other research has reported potential unintended effects of school-based psychological interventions in specific subgroups and therefore cautious implementation with routine monitoring is recommended.