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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Mental Health: Universal School-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Programs to Reduce Depression and Anxiety Symptoms

About this resource:

Systematic Review

Source: The Guide to Community Preventive Services

Last Reviewed: February 2019

Workgroups: Early and Middle Childhood Workgroup

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends universal school-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs to prevent or reduce depression and anxiety symptoms in school-aged children and adolescents. All students, whether or not they have mental health conditions, participate in these programs. The programs help students build strategies to:

  • Solve problems 
  • Regulate emotions 
  • Establish helpful thought and behavior patterns 

Trained school staff or outside mental health professionals deliver the programs.

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Objectives related to this resource (2)

Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who get appropriate treatment for anxiety or depression — EMC‑D04
Developmental
Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who get preventive mental health care in school — EMC‑D06
Developmental

Suggested Citation

1.

Guide to Community Preventive Services. (2019). Mental Health: Universal School-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Programs to Reduce Depression and Anxiety Symptoms. Retrieved from https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/mental-health-universal-school-based-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-programs-reduce-depression-anxiety-symptoms