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Universal interventions to improve young children's mental well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Jiying Ling1, Sisi Chen1, Nancy T Browne2

  • 1Michigan State University, College of Nursing.

Psychological Bulletin
|July 9, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Universal interventions show small-to-medium effects on young children's mental well-being. Child-focused programs were most effective, but long-term maintenance requires further research and rigorous study designs.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health Interventions

Background:

  • Early childhood mental well-being is crucial for development.
  • Universal interventions aim to improve mental health outcomes for all children.
  • Evidence on the effectiveness and moderators of these interventions in young children is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the effects of universal interventions on mental well-being in children aged 0-6 years.
  • To explore factors moderating intervention effectiveness.
  • To assess the maintenance of intervention effects over time.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of 133 studies involving 32,512 participants.
  • Random-effects models and cluster-robust variance estimation were used.
  • Exploratory moderator analyses identified key factors influencing outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Small-to-medium effects (Hedges' g = 0.31–0.38) were observed across cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral domains.
  • Child-focused interventions demonstrated the largest positive impact.
  • Intervention effects showed limited maintenance from postintervention to follow-up (g = 0.04).

Conclusions:

  • Universal interventions offer potential benefits for early childhood mental well-being, particularly child-focused approaches.
  • Caution is warranted due to substantial heterogeneity, risk of bias, and publication bias.
  • Future research should prioritize rigorous designs, long-term follow-up, and booster strategies for sustained effects.

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