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Updated: May 5, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
The World Health Organization's Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions: A Systematic Review on Current Evidence
Lea M Schaubruch1, Christian G Schäfer2, Clara F Burmeister1,3
1Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany.
Introduction:
Adolescents in many low- and middle-income countries are frequently exposed to adversities such as armed conflicts and economic hardship. These stressors occur during a critical developmental period marked by profound physical, social, and psychological changes, increasing vulnerability to mental disorders. To address this mental health-care need, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) developed Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE), a 10-session group intervention for adolescents and their caregivers. This systematic review summarizes current evidence regarding the effectiveness and implementation of EASE.
Methods:
We searched five electronic databases up to July 26, 2025, for trials evaluating the effects of EASE on adolescents' mental distress and caregivers' parenting behaviors. Random-effects multilevel meta-analyses were conducted using standardized mean differences (SMDs) at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up, complemented by a qualitative synthesis of implementation outcomes. Preregistration ID: CRD42023488490.
Results:
No evidence was found for superiority of EASE over a 1-session psychoeducation control on overall mental distress or caregiver outcomes. However, for the primary outcome, internalizing symptoms, there was strong evidence of a very small to small favorable effect at post-intervention, SMD = -0.17, 95% CI: [-0.31, -0.04], which was maintained at follow-up. Implementation studies indicated that EASE is acceptable, feasible, and delivered with good fidelity; yet low caregiver engagement and contextual challenges hindered implementation.
Conclusion:
Observed effects were smaller than those reported for a comparable WHO intervention for adults, highlighting substantial scope for optimization. Additional high-quality trials are warranted to improve the effectiveness of EASE and maximize its potential public health impact.
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