7 Tables

7.1 Table 1. Characteristics of Included Systematic Reviews

Review Databases Searched Search Date Included Studies Eligible Studies
Ahlen 2015 Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, PsycINFO July 2012 30 9
Caldwell 2021 British Education Index, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE, Epistemonikos, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO April 04, 2018 136 26
Dray 2017 CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library), EMBASE, ERIC, Google Scholar, Medline, PsycINFO December 2015 57 11
Feiss 2019 Academic Search Premiere, ERIC, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO May 01, 2018 42 0
Gallegos 2012 ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO Not Reported 15 4
Gee 2020 ASSIA, British Education Index, British Nursing Index, CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO April 04, 2019 45 2
Hugh-Jones 2021 ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PROSPERO, PsycINFO December 2019 20 4
Johnstone 2018 Google Scholar, PsycINFO (OVID), PubMED January 2018 11 8
Maggin 2014 Dissertation Abstracts, Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), GoogleScholar, Medline, PsychEXTRA, PsychINFO, PubMED, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, Thomson Reuters’ Web of Knowledge Not Reported 14 10
Mychailyszyn 2011 PsycInfo, PubMed June 01, 2010 62 11
Stockings 2016 Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews, Medline, PsycINFO August 2014 115 12
Teubert 2011 ERIC, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Psyndex, PubMed, Web of Knowledge Not Reported 59 10
Werner-Seidler 2017 Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed February 12, 2015 81 14
Werner-Seidler 2021 Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed October 08, 2020 117 24
Zhang 2023 ERIC, Google Scholar, PsycINFO June 2021 29 8
Zhelinsky-Denyer 2015 Google Scholar, ProQuest, PsycArticles, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect Not Reported 35 11

7.2 Table 2. Methodological Quality of Included Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2)

Review 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Overall
Ahlen 2015 Y N Y PY Y Y N N N N Y N N Y Y Y CL
Caldwell 2021 Y Y N PY Y Y N PY Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y M
Dray 2017 Y Y N N Y Y N PY Y N Y N Y Y Y Y L
Feiss 2019 Y PY Y N Y Y N PY Y N N N Y Y N Y CL
Gallegos 2012 N N N N N N N N Y N Y N N Y N N CL
Gee 2020 Y Y N PY Y Y N PY N N Y Y Y Y Y Y L
Hugh‑Jones 2021 Y Y N N Y Y N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y M
Johnstone 2018 Y N N N Y N N PY N N Y N N Y Y Y CL
Maggin 2014 Y N N N Y Y N N N N Y Y Y Y N N CL
Mychailyszyn 2011 N N Y N N Y N N N N N N N Y Y N CL
Stockings 2016 Y Y N N N Y N PY Y N Y Y Y Y N Y L
Teubert 2011 Y N Y PY N Y N N N N Y Y N Y N N CL
Werner-Seidler 2017 Y Y N N Y Y N PY N N Y N Y Y Y Y L
Werner-Seidler 2021 Y Y N N Y Y N PY N N Y Y Y Y Y Y L
Zhang 2023 Y N Y N Y Y Y Y Y N Y N N Y Y Y L
Zhelinsky-Denyer 2015 N N N N N Y N PY N N N Y Y Y Y N CL
N = No; PY = Partial Yes; Y = Yes; CL = Critically Low; L = Low; M = Moderate; H = High

7.3 Table 3. Risk of Bias in Included Systematic Reviews (ROBIS)

Review D1 D2 D3 D4 Interpretation Relevance Spin Overall
Ahlen 2015 H H H H N Y Y H
Caldwell 2021 L L L L Y Y Y L
Dray 2017 L L L H PY Y Y L
Feiss 2019 H H H H N Y Y H
Gallegos 2012 H H U H N Y PY H
Gee 2020 H H H L N Y Y H
Hugh‑Jones 2021 L L L H Y Y Y L
Johnstone 2018 U H H H N Y Y H
Maggin 2014 H L H U N Y Y H
Mychailyszyn 2011 H H H H N Y Y H
Stockings 2016 H H L H N Y Y H
Teubert 2011 H H H U N Y PY H
Werner-Seidler 2017 L H H H N Y Y H
Werner-Seidler 2021 H H H H N Y Y H
Zhang 2023 U L L H PY Y Y L
Zhelinsky-Denyer 2015 H H H H PN Y Y H
D = Domain; H = High; L = Low; U = Unclear; N = No; PN = Probably No; PY = Probably Yes; Y = Yes

7.4 Table 4. Characteristics of Included Primary Studies

Study Country Students Classrooms Schools Risk of Bias Level Intervention Comparison Design
Ab Ghaffar 2019 Malaysia 461 NR 11 Some concerns Primary School-based anxiety prevention program (SBAPP) TAU Cluster RCT
Ahlen 2018 Sweden 695 NR 17 High NR FRIENDS for Life No Treatment Cluster RCT
Attwood 2012 United Kingdom 22 NR 2 High Primary Think, Feel, Do Attention Control Individual RCT
Aune 2009 Norway 1748 NR NR High NR Norwegian Universal Preventive Program for Social Anxiety (NUPP-SA) No Treatment Cluster RCT
Barrett 2000 Australia 20 2 1 Critical High FRIENDS for Life Waitlist QED
Barrett 2001 Australia 489 NR 10 High Primary FRIENDS - psychologist led; and FRIENDS - teacher led TAU Cluster RCT
Bokhorst 1995 Netherlands 177 NR 4 Critical Elementary Treatment Curriculum No Treatment QED
Calear 2016 Australia 225 12 3 High High e-couch Anxiety and Worry program Waitlist Cluster RCT
Calear 2016 Australia 1767 NR 32 High High e-GAD school; and e-GAD Health Waitlist Cluster RCT
Collins 2014 United Kingdom 345 18 9 High Primary Lessons for Living: Think well, do well (Psychologist-led); and Lessons for Living: Think well, do well (Teacher-led) TAU Cluster RCT
Gallegos 2008 Mexico 1030 32 8 Some concerns Primary AMISTAD (Friends Spanish Version) TAU Cluster RCT
García-Escalera 2020 Spain 151 5 1 Some concerns Secondary Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP-A Spanish) TAU Cluster RCT
Hunt 2009 Australia 260 NR 19 High Secondary FRIENDS No Treatment Cluster RCT
Johnstone 2020 Australia 308 NR 5 High Primary Emotion Regulation (ER); and Behavioral Activation (BA) TAU Cluster RCT
Kozina 2021 Slovenia 85 4 2 High Primary FRIENDS for Life No Treatment Cluster RCT
Liddle 2010 United Kingdom 58 NR 4 High Primary; Secondary FRIENDS for Life Waitlist Individual RCT
Lock 2003 Australia 737 NR 7 High Primary; Secondary FRIENDS Waitlist Cluster RCT
Lowry-Webster 2001 Australia 594 NR 7 High NR FRIENDS No Treatment Cluster RCT
Mifsud 2005 Australia 91 NR 9 High Elementary Cool Kids Program Waitlist Cluster RCT
Miller 2010 Canada 118 6 3 Some concerns Elementary Taming Worry Dragons Waitlist Cluster RCT
Miller 2011 Canada 533 NR 15 High Elementary FRIENDS for Life Waitlist Cluster RCT
Miller 2011 Canada 191 NR 17 Some concerns Elementary FRIENDS Attention Control Cluster RCT
Miller 2011 Canada 253 14 7 Some concerns Elementary FRIENDS Attention Control Cluster RCT
Mostert 2008 South Africa 66 2 1 Critical NR FRIENDS for Life Waitlist QED
Pophillat 2016 Australia 206 10 1 High Primary Aussie Optimism Program: Feeling and Friends TAU Cluster RCT
Roberts 2010 Australia 496 NR 12 High Primary Aussie Optimism Program TAU Cluster RCT
Roberts 2018 Australia 2288 NR 63 High Primary Aussie Optimism Program; and Aussie Optimism - plus coaching TAU Cluster RCT
Rodgers 2015 Ireland 62 NR 3 Some concerns Secondary FRIENDS for Life TAU Individual RCT
Rooney 2013 Australia 910 NR 22 High Primary Aussie Optimism: Positive Thinking Skills Program (AOP-PTS) TAU Cluster RCT
Rose 2009 Canada 52 2 1 Serious Elementary FRIENDS for Life Waitlist QED
Ruttledge 2016 Ireland 709 NR 27 Some concerns Primary FRIENDS for Life TAU Cluster RCT
Stallard 2014 United Kingdom 1362 NR 40 Some concerns Primary Health-led Friends; and School-led Friends TAU Cluster RCT
Tomba 2010 Italy 162 8 4 Some concerns Middle Well-Being Therapy (WBT) Active: Anxiety-management protocol Cluster RCT
Waters 2019 Australia 303 15 1 Some concerns Primary Positive Search Training (PST); and Cognitive Behavioural Intervention (CBI) TAU Cluster RCT
Wong 2014 Australia 976 NR 12 High High Thiswayup Schools: Overcoming Anxiety; and Thiswayup Schools: Combating Depression TAU Cluster RCT
NR = Not reported; TAU: Treatment as usual; RCT = Randomized controlled trial; QED = Quasi-experimental design