Promoting resilience among young people experiencing adverse life effects: A scoping review of evidence

Background: Resilience-promoting interventions are positioned as potential solutions to support young people’s mental health and coping under macroeconomic uncertainties and adverse life events.Aims: This scoping review explored key directions in promoting resilience among children, adolescents and young adults.Methods: A scoping review was conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Eight databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies reporting interventions targeting youth resilience or coping with adversity. The inclusion criteria focused on resilience-building interventions for youth exposed to adverse life events. Data were narratively synthesised. Results: Twenty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. Promising intervention features included CBT-informed intervention ingredients delivered in a group format, tiered school models, and peer-support. Improvements were observed in emotion regulation, self-esteem, prosocial behaviour, and psychological flexibility. Effects on core mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety were inconsistent. Co-design, facilitator training, and cultural grounding were inconsistently addressed across studies. Conclusions: Significant heterogeneity characterised how different intervention programmes defined and operationalised resilience, leading to variability in outcome variables and measures. Greater consistency in defining and measuring resilience, alongside attention to implementation quality and cultural context is essential to strengthen the evidence base and inform future interventions and building cumulative evidence base in the field.