The Department for Education funded study, combined results from 71 existing studies in 22 countries involving 63,041 young people aged eight to 18. Interventions were mostly delivered by teachers and psychologists and ranged from a single 30-minute session to more than two hours a week over four school years.
Researchers found that sessions based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps people to recognise and challenge negative thoughts and behaviours, were more effective at reducing anxiety symptoms than mindfulness-based sessions or sessions drawing from other theories.
Lead author Dr Daniel Hayes, based at UCL’s Department of Behavioural Science & Health and Anna Freud, said: “The value of whole-class mental health interventions has been contested. Past evidence has been mixed and some experts have argued that, given a lack of obvious benefit, schools should reconsider their use.
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