Youth mental health prevention and promotion in Central and Eastern Europe: what works, and what needs to be done?

Background: Mental health prevention and promotion for young people in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is characterised by limited research and the predominance of tertiary, specialist services. CEE mental health systems share common features: stigma towards mental health remains high, and participatory approaches, particularly involving those with lived experience, are still emerging. Critical gaps remain regarding existing interventions’ effectiveness, the cultural and contextual factors that impact programme success, and the extent to which these programs engage young people in their design. The present project aimed to assess the existing evidence on the effectiveness of mental health prevention and promotion interventions targeting young people in CEE. Method: We conducted a scoping review of the literature and three youth consultations. The scoping review, guided by the PRISMA framework, included literature from the year 2000 to 2024, sourced from Ovid’s comprehensive suite of databases. Adopting the PICO criteria, we focused on prevention and promotion interventions involving young people in the general population across the specified CEE countries. We used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to assess for risk of bias.Results: We screened 221 papers after deduplication at the level of abstracts and titles, and the full text of 32 papers. Our screening identified six eligible studies, collectively representing five distinct interventions. Only two interventions targeted young people as beneficiaries directly, and three focused on caregivers and healthcare professionals. Only one intervention was developed in a CEE context, the other four were cross-European collaborative efforts. The five interventions demonstrated mixed outcomes regarding their effectiveness and implementation. Youth consultations provided critical insights into the personal experiences and needs of young people regarding mental health support. Key themes included limited access to services, high stigma, and gaps in programme components essential for effective mental health support, such as peer interactions and personalised activities.Conclusion: This study highlights both the potential and the challenges of mental health prevention and promotion interventions for young people in CEE. While some programs demonstrate promising results, systemic barriers such as stigma, service fragmentation, and limited youth engagement hinder their effectiveness and sustainability. Future efforts should focus on scaling up evidence-based interventions, fostering cross-sector collaborations, and ensuring that youth mental health remains a public health priority across the region.