A comprehensive review led by York University highlights the effectiveness of hybrid digital mental health programmes for children and young people, emphasising the need for inclusive and context-aware approaches to maximise benefits and address equity gaps.
A large review led by York University suggests that digital mental health programmes can help improve children’s and young people’s emotional, behavioural, social and cognitive wellbeing, with the strongest results seen in hybrid models that combine online delivery with some face-to-face support. The systematic review and meta-analysis examined 57 peer-reviewed studies involving more than 40,000 participants worldwide, according to the paper published in npj Digital Medicine.
The findings point to the most reliable benefits when digital interventions were embedded in structured settings such as schools, where follow-up results were more likely to hold over time. By contrast, fully virtual approaches were less consistent. The authors said the evidence supports using digital tools, but only if they are introduced thoughtfully and with attention to real-world conditions and access.
Rebecca Pillai Riddell, a professor in York University’s Faculty of Health, led the work alongside postdoctoral fellow Kaitlin Di Pierdomenico. The study also raises equity concerns: children from marginalised communities and younger children aged 0 to 4 were notably underrepresented in the research base, while reporting on participant demographics was often incomplete. A separate scoping review indexed in PubMed reached similar conclusions about the lack of equity detail and limited involvement of young people in designing interventions.
The project was carried out with Strong Minds Strong Kids, Psychology Canada, a national charity focused on children’s mental health, and received philanthropic support from the Jackman Foundation. The researchers said the results should help steer future investment towards approaches that are not only effective, but also inclusive enough to reach the children and young people most often missed by current services. An earlier preprint of the analysis also found small but statistically significant benefits across several psychological domains, reinforcing the case for hybrid models.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
