Effective mental health promotion and primary prevention across the life course: a rapid umbrella review (2021-2024) to inform Flemish policy

Objective To support the development of a Flemish policy plan for mental health promotion (MHP), a rapid umbrella review was conducted to identify effective interventions for MHP and the primary prevention of mental health problems across the life course. Methods A search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest (Psychology and Social Sciences), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic and umbrella reviews published between October 2021 and March 2024. In total, 204 reviews were included. Broad patterns in the evidence were synthesized by life stage (the first 1000 days; children and adolescents; adults; older adults; across life stages). Results Sufficient evidence is available to support the scale-up of some interventions. School-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs have a well-established evidence base. CBT-based and mindfulness-based approaches show reliable small-to-moderate effects on mental health outcomes across populations. Physical activity interventions contribute positively to mental health across age groups, settings, and vulnerable populations, although effect sizes are generally small. Workplace interventions combining organizational interventions with individual support are promising. During the perinatal period, CBT-based, mind-body, physical activity, support-based and parenting interventions show positive effects on mental health outcomes. Guided digital interventions are promising, although effects are generally smaller than those of face-to-face interventions. Evidence for older adults and disadvantaged populations remains limited. Conclusion This umbrella review provides evidence to support the development of a Flemish policy plan for mental health promotion. Such a plan should combine universal and targeted approaches, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.