The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) review in this topic area focuses on preventive interventions for middle, high school, and postsecondary students that aim to improve mental health and well-being and reduce externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and substance use. Systematic reviews of evidence in this topic area address the following questions:
- Does the reviewed intervention appear to be effective, at the middle and high school level, for increasing academic achievement, reducing dropout from high school, increasing positive internalizing or externalizing behaviors, decreasing negative internalizing or externalizing behaviors, and/or decreasing substance use?
- At the postsecondary level, does the reviewed intervention appear to be effective in increasing postsecondary access and enrollment, enrollment persistence, credit accumulation and attainment, improving academic achievement in college, increasing positive internalizing and externalizing behaviors, decreasing negative internalizing or externalizing behaviors, improving labor market outcomes, and/or decreasing substance use?
- Is the reviewed intervention more or less effective for certain subgroups of students?