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Cited by 112Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentMental Health Treatment and AccessPersonality Disorders and Psychopathology

Preventing Mental Disorders in Children: A Systematic Review to Inform Policy-Making

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Waddell, Charlotte, Hua, Josephine M., Garland, Orion M., Peters, Ray DeV., McEwan, Kimberley·2007·Canadian Journal of Public Health
DOI 10.1007/bf03403706PMC PMC6975628
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Abstract

Background At any given time, 14% of Canadian children experience clinically significant mental disorders, which frequently persist into adulthood. Canadian public policy has emphasized specialized treatment services, yet these services only reach 25% of children with disorders. Prevention programs hold potential to reduce the number of children with disorders in the population. To inform policy-making, we systematically reviewed the best available research evidence on programs for preventing conduct disorder (CD), anxiety and depression, three of the most prevalent mental disorders in children.Methods We systematically identified and reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on programs intended to prevent CD, anxiety and depression in children aged 0-18 years.Results Fifteen RCTs met selection criteria: nine (on eight programs) for preventing CD; one for anxiety; four (on three programs) for depression; and one for all three. Ten RCTs demonstrated significant reductions in child symptom and/or diagnostic measures at follow-up. The most noteworthy programs, for CD, targeted at-risk children in the early years using parent training (PT) or child social skills training (SST); for anxiety, employed universal cognitive-behavioural training (CBT) in school-age children; and for depression, targeted at-risk school-age children, also using CBT. Effect sizes for these noteworthy programs were modest but consequential. There were few Canadian studies and few that evaluated costs.Discussion Prevention programs are promising but replication RCTs are needed to determine effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in Canadian settings. Four program types should be priorities for replication: targeted PTand child SST for preventing CD in children's early years; and universal and targeted CBTfor preventing anxiety and depression in children's school-age years. Conducting RCTs through research-policy partnerships would enable implementation in realistic settings while ensuring rigorous evaluation. Prevention merits new policy and research investments as part of a comprehensive public health strategy to improve children's mental health in the population.

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  • Common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders are treatable and potentially preventable.

    “Common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders are treatable, and potentially preventable [2-4].”

    From A systematic review of help-seeking interventions for depression, anxiety and general psychological distress (2012) · cites this paper as [4]

    The Discussion reports that prevention programs reduced anxiety and depression symptoms or diagnoses in children, supporting the claim that these disorders may be preventable. The Abstract mentions specialized treatment services but does not establish that the disorders are treatable. The paper’s evidence is also specific to children, whereas the citing sentence is unqualified. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Meta-analysis was not conducted in the community-based parent training and social skills training review.

    “However, meta-analysis was not conducted.”

    From Interventions for Adolescent Mental Health: An Overview of Systematic Reviews (2016) · cites this paper as [31]

  • Community-based parent training and social skills training for preventing depression significantly reduced symptom and/or diagnostic measures at follow-up.

    “Another review based on 15 studies on community-based parent training and social skills training for preventing depression suggested significant reductions in symptom and/or diagnostic measures at follow-up [31].”

    From Interventions for Adolescent Mental Health: An Overview of Systematic Reviews (2016) · cites this paper as [31]

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Weissberg RP, Kumpfer KL, Seligman ME. Prevention that works for children and youth. Am Psychol 2003;58:425-32.
  2. Jane-Llopis E, Hosman C, Jenkins R, Anderson P. Predictors of efficacy in depression prevention programmes. Br J Psychiatry 2003;183:384-97.
  3. Crill Russell C (Ed.). The State of Knowledge About Prevention/Early Intervention. Toronto, ON: Invest in Kids, 2002.
  4. Olds D, Robinson J, Song N, Little C, Hill P. Reducing risks for mental disorders during the first five years of life: A review of preventive inter- ventions. Denver, CO: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Prevention Research Center for Family and Child Health, 1999.

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Authors
Waddell, C., Hua, J. M., Garland, O. M., Peters, R. D., & McEwan, K.
Affiliations
  • Simon Fraser University (CA)
  • University of Victoria (CA)
  • Queen's University (CA)
Corresponding author
Waddell, Charlotte
ORCID
Waddell, Charlotte
Venue
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2007-05
Volume
98
Issue
3
Pages
166-173
ISSN
  • 0008-4263 (ISSN-L)
  • 1920-7476
DOI
10.1007/bf03403706
PMC
PMC6975628
OpenAlex
W1573915839
Cited by
112
References
64
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 11
FWCI
7.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Canadian Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Michael Smith Health Research BC
  • University of British Columbia
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
Keywords
child mental health, mental disorder prevention, conduct disorder, childhood anxiety, childhood depression, parent training, universal prevention programs, early childhood, elementary school students, prevention program effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, research-policy partnerships
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Anxiety Disorders, Canada, Child, Child, Preschool, Depressive Disorder, Health Policy, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Mental Health Services, Policy Making, Primary Prevention, Program Evaluation, Evidence-Based Medicine, Conduct Disorder

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