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Morse, Isabella, Mannes, Julia, Pilimatalawwe, Dihini, et al., - and Coughlan, Barry (2026) Effectiveness of interventions for anxiety and depression in children and young people: an umbrella review of meta-analyses. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. ISSN 1435-165X
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Abstract
Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health conditions for children and young people (CYP), yet treatment recommendations vary. Through this umbrella review (meta-analysis of meta-analyses), we aimed to identify the most effective interventions for CYP with anxiety and depression. We searched five electronic databases (PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ASSIA) from 1 October 2017 to 1 October 2022, with an updated search in PubMed from October 2022 to February 2026. Eligible meta-analyses reported on interventions for CYP (≤ 18 years) with anxiety or depression and/or associated symptoms. We identified 57 meta-analyses (569 effect sizes); of these, 43 (391 effects) were included in statistical analyses. For anxiety, psychosocial (d = -0.51, 95% CI [-0.56, -0.46], p < 0.001) and pharmacological (d = -0.67, 95% CI [-0.87, -0.46], p < 0.001) interventions appeared equally effective (t(5.50) = 0.64, p = 0.546). For depression, physical (d = -0.49, CI [-0.57, -0.40], p < 0.001) interventions appeared most effective, followed by psychosocial (d = -0.35, CI [-0.39, -0.32], p < 0.001), then pharmacological (d = -0.17, CI [-0.20, -0.15], p < 0.001), (F(2,151) = 11.44, p < 0.001). Psychosocial interventions were also associated with better outcomes for anxiety than for depression (MD = -0.14, CI [-0.21, -0.06], t(314.30) = -3.45, p < 0.001). As physical interventions and interpersonal therapy were the specific therapies associated with the greatest improvements in CYP’s depression, policymakers and practitioners should monitor emerging evidence in these areas when shaping treatment recommendations, and researchers should consider exploring their effectiveness for the treatment of anxiety. In general, future research should focus on understanding the effectiveness of the studied interventions in real clinical practice settings.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Additional Information: | This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Anxiety; depression; children and young people; interventions; umbrella review |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman > Children R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA790 Mental Health |
| Divisions: | School of Business and Social Sciences > Staff Research and Publications |
| Depositing User: | Tamara Malone |
| Date Deposited: | 28 May 2026 18:43 |
| Last Modified: | 28 May 2026 18:43 |
| URI: | https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/9328 |
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