How Long Do Coaching Effects Last After the Engagement Ends? A Cross-Domain Rapid Systematic Review of Studies Reporting Follow-Up Assessment

Meta-analyses consistently document positive effects of coaching, yet almost no study measures what remains once the engagement ends. This cross-domain rapid systematic review collects studies reporting at least one follow-up assessment, defined here and throughout as a measurement taken at a distance from the end of the intervention, distinguishable from the post-test administered at its close. Searching open-access sources only, 57 studies published between 2000 and 2026 were included, spanning organisational, health, educational, sport, career, team and digital coaching. Follow-up outcomes of the source-verified studies were additionally coded by an independent second coder, with agreement quantified and all divergences resolved by consensus against the full texts. The median follow-up window is 6 months, ranging from one to 96. Outcomes were fully maintained in 23 studies (40%), partially maintained in 16 (28%), improved in 11 (19%) and not maintained in 7 (12%). The literature shows maintenance most consistently for psychological and behavioural outcomes; physiological outcomes show the most variable picture, accounting for four of the seven studies coded as not maintained; and the few studies of performance outcomes report full or partial maintenance. The share of studies reporting full maintenance falls as the follow-up window lengthens. High attrition and the disappearance of the control group at follow-up constrain the strength of the conclusions.