Effects of Universal Digital Mental Health Interventions for Children and Youth on Psychological Outcomes – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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Children and youth are facing rising mental health challenges in an increasingly digital world. Universal Tier 1 digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) – low-intensity, high-reach supports for non-clinical populations – have emerged as scalable tools to meet early-stage needs, but their effectiveness remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence from 51 studies (N = 30,474) to assess the impact of DMHIs across emotional, behavioural, social, and cognitive outcomes, and examined whether delivery format (hybrid vs. virtual) and outcome timing (post-intervention vs. follow-up) influenced results. Nine of 16 calculated effect sizes found statistically significant, small effects. Hybrid interventions – those incorporating any in-person component – showed more consistent and sustained benefits, with moderate-certainty evidence at follow-up. However, most findings were low certainty. Parents of younger children and marginalized children and youth were notably understudied. Future research must prioritize marginalized youth, broaden outcome evaluation, and deliver large-scale, high-quality trials to inform the inclusive and sustainable implementation of digital mental health supports. INPLASY registration number: INPLASY202490026
