Technology‐mediated programs of mental health literacy for adolescents: a systematic review

Abstract

As adolescence is considered a critical period for preventing mental health issues in adulthood, adolescents became the primary audience of public health campaigns aimed at promoting mental health literacy. Despite empirical consistency on the effectiveness of face-to-face mental health literacy programs for adolescents, little is known about the characteristics and effects of technology-mediated interventions for this goal. This systematic review seeks to systematize the empirical knowledge on the effects of technology-mediated programs promoting mental health literacy among adolescents. We conducted a systematic literature search until December 2019 and selected four empirical studies that evaluated the effects of these types of programs on different mental health indicators. Results show that technology-mediated programs had positive effects on increasing mental health literacy, with gender and age moderating these associations. Their effect on reducing stigma and prompting professional help-seeking behavior, however, was inconsistent. The limitations of the studies included in the review were also discussed.