Adolescence (10–19 years) is a sensitive developmental window marked by rapid neurocognitive, emotional, and psychosocial transitions, during which behavioral problems and emotional dysregulation can intensify and shape long-term educational and health trajectories. In response, the evolving landscape of psychological interventions for adolescents increasingly blends preventive, therapeutic, and school-based strategies to address externalising behaviours (e.g., aggression, conduct difficulties), internalising symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depressive features), emotion regulation deficits, and broader psychosocial functioning. Evidence syntheses indicate that adolescent mental-health interventions span multiple modalities—ranging from structured psychotherapies and skills-based programs to eHealth/technology-supported approaches—reflecting a shift toward scalable, context-responsive care models.
Within school settings, universal and targeted programs have gained prominence because they can reach large populations and reduce barriers to access. Meta-analytic findings consistently demonstrate that school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions improve social-emotional skills, attitudes, behavioral outcomes, and academic performance, supporting the integration of psychosocial competencies into educational ecosystems. Alongside prevention, therapeutic approaches—particularly structured, skills-oriented models commonly used in youth psychotherapy—show measurable benefits across a range of adolescent difficulties, while ongoing evidence emphasizes the importance of implementation quality, contextual fit, and sustained delivery for meaningful outcomes.
This study analytically maps intervention trends across three domains—prevention, treatment, and school-based delivery—by synthesizing how contemporary programs target (i) behavioral regulation, (ii) emotional regulation capacities (e.g., coping, self-management), and (iii) psychosocial development (e.g., peer functioning, identity support, school connectedness). By foregrounding multi-tiered intervention pathways, the work aims to clarify which approaches appear most impactful, for whom, and under what conditions—thereby informing adolescent-centred practice, school mental-health planning, and future research directions.