The Key Role of Psychosocial Competencies in Evidence-Based Youth Mental Health Promotion: Academic Support in Consolidating a National Strategy in France.

Psychosocial competencies, also known as psychosocial skills or life skills, are essential for the prevention and promotion of mental health. Since the beginning of this century, psychosocial competencies have been defined as the ability to develop positive mental health. Most individual or social mental health protection programs are related to psychosocial competencies. A majority of evidence-based programs that develop mental health explicitly aim at developing psychosocial competencies, either exclusively or with complementary approaches. Many of these programs have demonstrated their effectiveness, with lasting effects on reduced anxiety and depression symptoms, violent and risky behaviors, and improved well-being and academic success. Based on international meta-analyses and on 20 years of French national and local experiences, a national strategy to develop psychosocial competencies was launched in France in 2021 for all children from 3 to 25 years old. Two reports on evidence-based psychosocial competence development were published in 2022 by the national agency for public health-Santé publique France (Public Health France)-to support this deployment strategy and develop a common evidence-based culture in health and education. This article presents the French national strategy as an example of a means of increasing evidence-based mental health promotion while discussing the importance of cultural adaptation of such programs.

[Effective interventions to prevent child injuries: a review of the literature]. / Les interventions efficaces en prévention des accidents de la vie courante chez les enfants: une synthèse de littérature.

Child injuries represent an important public health problem. The aim of this paper is to review the current scientific knowledge on interventions designed to prevent child injuries. The current state of knowledge in this area was assessed by means of a specific method involving a review of literature reviews and a classification of health promotion interventions identified in these reviews (rapid reviews). We found a large number of effective or promising programmes devoted to the prevention of the most common child injuries: drowning, burns, falls, poisoning, electrocution, sports and leisure injuries. Some interventions are based on environmental measures, while others are educational or use law and regulatory processes. Some are primary prevention measures, others are secondary prevention measures, while others are multidimensional and can effectively reduce several types of injuries. For example, home safety education and provision of safety equipment, or home-based parenting interventions, can have an impact on injury rates. These findings present a number of limitations due to the marked diversity of the quality of the documents reviewed. It should also be stressed that interventions that are not listed in this article are not necessarily ineffective: they may simply lack a rigorous evaluation enabling them to be identified in our review.

[Evidence-based and promising interventions to prevent sexually transmitted diseases: a literature review]. / Interventions validées ou prometteuses en prévention des Infections Sexuellement Transmissibles (IST)?: synthèse de la littérature.

There has been a significant increase in the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in France over the past decade. The prevention and control of STDs are a major focus of the 2010-2014 national strategic plan on HIV and STDs. This paper reviews the current knowledge of evidence-based programs aimed at preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The study used a standard protocol to identify and review the literature and to classify the selected interventions. Twenty-seven interventions were found to have an impact on STD prevention. The study also found that most of the interventions were aimed at adolescents and were implemented in schools. This study aims to improve current interventions in this area and to promote the development and implementation of new programs.

[Evidence-based and promising interventions to prevent unplanned pregnancies: a literature review]. / Interventions validées ou prometteuses en prévention des grossesses non prévues?: synthèse de la littérature.

Despite the widespread use of contraception, the number of unplanned pregnancies in France remains high. This paper reviews the current knowledge of evidence-based programs aimed at preventing unplanned pregnancies. The study used a standard protocol to identify and review the literature and to classify the selected interventions. Sixteen interventions were found to have an effect on contraceptive use, emergency contraception use or the number of unplanned pregnancies. Interventions in this area are aimed at children, adolescents or adult women. The aim of this study is to improve interventions in this area and to promote the development and implementation of new programs.

[Evidence-based and promising interventions to prevent alcohol use among youth: a literature review]. / Interventions validées ou prometteuses en prévention de la consommation d'alcool chez les jeunes?: synthèse de la littérature.

Although the annual average consumption of pure alcohol in France has decreased since the early sixties, some indicators of alcohol consumption among young people have increased over the past decade. This paper reviews the current knowledge of interventions aimed at preventing alcohol use among children and adolescents. The study used a standard protocol to identify and review the literature and to classify the selected interventions. Twenty-seven interventions were found to have an effect on youth alcohol consumption, including 6 aimed at children under 10 years of age, 9 aimed at young people aged 10-15 years, and 8 aimed at young people over 16 years. A further 4 interventions were designed to tackle the issue of alcohol supply. Most of the interventions (17) target the general population. The study also found that many interventions aimed at children or adolescents involve parent participation. This review demonstrates the complementarity of interventions targeting individuals and those aimed at tackling alcohol supply. It also highlights potential synergies through interventions with an impact on youth alcohol consumption but also on other substance uses and on mental health.

[Evidence-based and promising interventions to prevent drug use among youth: a literature review]. / Interventions validées ou prometteuses en prévention de la consommation de substances illicites chez les jeunes?: synthèse de la littérature.

France has one of the highest rates of psychoactive substance use among young people in Europe. Psychoactive substances affect brain functioning and can cause serious health problems. The identification of effective strategies and prevention programs is a major challenge for public health. The purpose of this study was to identify empirically validated and promising intervention programs aimed at preventing drug use. The study used a standard protocol to identify and review the literature and to classify the selected interventions. Two criteria were used to classify the results: age (interventions aimed at children under 10 years of age versus interventions aimed at children over 10 years of age) and the type of approach used in the interventions (universal versus targeted). Our data suggest that the most effective interventions generally involve interactive programs aimed at promoting the development of psychosocial skills in children and parents. Interventions targeting populations at risk for drug use require more resources, including a community component (based on an approach aimed at incorporating a range of local actors), personalized assistance (for young people and families) and, in many cases, the provision of psychotherapeutic services. Most of the interventions presented in this paper were implemented in English-speaking countries. However, we argue that they can also contribute to promoting reflection and improving prevention programs in France.

[Evidence-based and promising interventions to prevent infectious diseases among youth as a result of poor hand hygiene in schools: a literature review]. / Interventions validées ou prometteuses en prévention des maladies infectieuses chez les jeunes par l'hygiène des mains en milieu scolaire?: synthèse de la littérature.

Infectious diseases remain a major cause of death among young people throughout the world. This paper reviews the current knowledge of empirically validated and promising interventions aimed at preventing infectious diseases among children caused by poor hand hygiene in schools. The study used a standard protocol to identify and review the literature and to classify the selected interventions. Approximately ten interventions were found to have a beneficial effect by promoting hand washing and hand hygiene in schools. The study also found that most of the interventions were implemented at elementary school. However, some interventions were also implemented at kindergarten or in child care centers, while others were aimed at university students. Most of the interventions were implemented by teachers, peers and/or external professionals. The study found that hand hygiene is effective regardless of the type of cleaning product used (i.e. antibacterial or plain soap, alcohol-based or alcohol-free hand sanitizer). This study aims to contribute to the understanding of empirically validated and promising interventions and to promote reflection on professional practice in France.

[Evidence-based interventions to prevent tobacco use among youth: a literature review]. / Interventions validées ou prometteuses en prévention du tabagisme chez les jeunes?: synthèse de la littérature.

This paper reviews the current knowledge of empirically validated interventions aimed at preventing tobacco use among children and adolescents. Given the increasing number of daily smokers among young people aged 17, there needs to be an emphasis on interventions aimed at promoting healthy behaviors. The study used a standard protocol to identify and review the literature and to classify the selected interventions. 22 interventions were found to have a positive impact on youth smoking. More than half of the interventions are aimed at the general population, while the other programs target vulnerable populations or young smokers. The study found that most of the interventions are aimed at adolescents, though some are aimed at children under 12 years of age. Around half of the interventions use several strategies, including actions in schools, parent involvement and/or community participation. Almost all individual-based programs are designed to promote the development of psychosocial skills. Effective mass media campaigns and national strategies to restrict access to tobacco are also presented. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of programs in other countries and to promote reflection on professional practice in France.

[Evidence-based interventions in youth mental health prevention and promotion]. / Interventions validées en prévention et promotion de la santé mentale auprès des jeunes.

The purpose of this paper is to review the current scientific knowledge on mental health promotion interventions aimed at children and adolescents. Definitions of mental health, mental health prevention and mental health promotion are provided. The current state of knowledge in this area was assessed based on a specific method involving selection, a literature review and a classification of mental health promotion interventions identified using scientific databases. Seventeen interventions were identified as having an effect on youth mental health. Half of these interventions are aimed at the general population, while the other half target vulnerable individuals. The majority of the interventions are aimed at children aged 5 and over. Half of the interventions are multimodal, while unimodal interventions include programs aimed at promoting psychosocial competencies in children. An increased understanding of internationally recognized programs should promote reflection on current professional practice in France.