DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.187813.1 ISSN: 2046-1402

Effect of positive psychology interventions on psychosocial health outcomes of school-aged adolescents: A quantitative systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Narges Adibsereshki, Farhad Nosrati Nejad, Parvin Jafari, Mehdi Basakha, Razieh Bidhendi-Yarandi
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Background PPIs have been increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance adolescent psychosocial health outcomes. These interventions aimed to foster well-being and reduce psychological distress by promoting positive human attributes. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide evidence for the efficacy of Positive Psychology interventions (PPIs) in educational settings and highlight their impact on adolescents’ psychosocial health outcomes. Methods A systematic literature search of electronic databases, including PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, will be conducted following the PRISMA guidelines to retrieve interventional studies published in English up to 2025 to assess the efficacy of PPIs on psychosocial health outcomes in school-age adolescents. Interventional/experimental studies will be considered eligible if they report the efficacy of PPIs compared to a control group in school-aged adolescents. Studies with unclear definitions of PPIs, those with no control group, and those that relied on newspaper articles or Google data will also be excluded. Studies published in languages other than English and those with unclear data, case reports, conference proceedings, reviews, and letters will not be eligible for inclusion. The quality of the included interventional studies will be evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for interventional studies. The pooled effect sizes will be estimated using a random-effects model for heterogeneity. Heterogeneity and publication bias will be evaluated using I-squared index and Egger’s test, respectively. Discussion This review fills key gaps by systematically synthesizing evidence on how positive psychology programs in schools affect adolescents’ mental and social health. Despite some limitations, this study incorporates diverse data sources to offer a detailed and accurate picture. The findings will inform targeted interventions and policy responses to cultivate the impact of PPIs on health issues. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42024595381.

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