​​This document briefly describes the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at answering the following question: Are elementary, school-based mental health interventions that are delivered by school staff effective? Main areas of interest included skill development (social skills, coping skills, and problem solving) and contingency management (provision of positive consequences for positive behaviour, and negative consequences or removal of privileges for negative behaviour). 

Some key findings: 

• Targeted interventions, followed by selective interventions were substantially more effective compared to universal interventions. 
• Universal interventions may still be important for building awareness and decreasing mental health stigma in the school community at-large 

Particular effectiveness was also observed for:  

• Interventions integrated into students’ existing academic instruction 
• Programs focused on externalizing problems 
• Programs focusing on contingency management 
• Interventions implemented multiple times per week 
• ​Relatively brief intervention durations yielded similar effects as programs of longer duration

Why we’re recommending this resource

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• Canadian resource