PRIMARY PREVENTION MENTAL-HEALTH-PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS - A METAANALYTIC REVIEW

Used meta-analysis to review 177 primary prevention programs designed to prevent behavioral and social problems in children and adolescents. Findings provide empirical support for further research and practice in primary prevention. Most categories of programs produced outcomes s imilar to or higher in magnitude than those obtained by many other est ablished preventive and treatment interventions in the social sciences and medicine. Programs modifying the school environment, individually focused mental health promotion efforts, and attempts to help childre n negotiate stressful transitions yield significant mean effects rangi ng from 0.24 to 0.93. In practical terms, the average participant lit a primary prevention program surpasses the performance of between 59% to 82% of those in a control group, and outcomes reflect an 8% to 46% difference in success rates favoring prevention groups. Most categorie s of programs had the dual benefit of significantly reducing problems and significantly increasing competencies. Priorities for future resea rch include clearer specification of intervention proceduces and progr am goals, assessment of program implementation, more follow-up studies , and determining how characteristics of the intervention and particip ants relate to different outcomes.