SCHOOLS BEYOND ACADEMICS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PREVENTION STRATEGIES FOR YOUTH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Abstract

Background: Schools are increasingly recognized as settings that extend beyond academic learning, providing opportunities to promote students’ mental health and well-being. However, depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders remain the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. More than 7% of adolescents aged 13–17 and over 36% of children with behavioral issues are diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Depression is estimated to occur 3.4% of 15–19-year-olds. Given these circumstances, school-based prevention programs have been implemented as a potential strategy to address these concerns. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of such interventions in preventing anxiety and depression remains uncertain. Method: Research was conducted by systematically review searching online literature using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms: “school-based program,” “school,” “adolescents,” “prevention,” “anxiety,” and “depression.” Inclusion criteria comprised open-access studies published between 2020 and 2025, involving children and adolescents aged 5–19 years, and employing experimental or quasi-experimental designs, including randomized controlled trials, with full-text availability. A total of 15 studies were included. Results: 10 studies demonstrated school-based prevention programs promoted positive outcomes in anxiety and depression, while 5 studies reported no significant effects. The prevention programs included CBT-based, physical activity-based, and electronic-based interventions. Conclusion: The findings indicate that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)–based, mindfulness, and physical activity–related interventions show the greatest promise in preventing anxiety and depressive symptoms in children.