Effects of Resilience Interventions for Adolescents and Young Adults Without Psychiatric Diagnoses: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

Although numerous resilience interventions have been developed for adolescents (age 10–19) and young adults (age 20–25), their comparative effectiveness remains unclear. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of different resilience interventions and further investigate whether the intervention effects differed based on participants’ condition (at-risk or non-at-risk) and age group (adolescents or young adults). A systematic search across PsycINFO, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science was conducted from inception to October 31, 2024. A total of 46 randomized controlled trials involving 8729 participants were identified (mean age = 15.61 years; 54.18% female). The main results indicate that physical activity, psychotherapy, mindfulness, and skill training significantly enhanced resilience compared to treatment as usual. However, the effectiveness of mindfulness should be interpreted with caution, as its effect was not significant in the sensitivity analysis. Subgroup network meta-analyses suggest that physical activity, psychotherapy, and skill training were particularly effective for adolescents, while psychotherapy, psychoeducation, mindfulness, and skill training were effective for young adults. Additionally, physical activity and skill training were effective for non-at-risk populations, whereas psychotherapy, skill training, mindfulness, and psychological placebo were effective for at-risk populations. Psychotherapy was more effective than skill training for at-risk individuals. Notably, there were no studies on psychoeducation for at-risk populations and no studies on physical activity for at-risk populations and young adults. Meta-regression revealed that the level of individualism and duration per session can influence the effectiveness of these interventions. This study provides valuable insights for clinicians to tailor interventions to specific populations of adolescents and young adults and highlights the need to consider cultural factors when designing interventions.