Sense of purpose interventions for depression and anxiety in adolescents and young adults: A scoping review and cross-cultural youth consultation

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of sense of purpose (SOP) interventions in preventing or reducing anxiety or depression in young people aged 14-24 years.Methods: A systematic search was conducted of the academic (PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE) and grey literature from the past 10 years. We also consulted two SOP experts and an Australian and Indian youth advisory group with lived experience of anxiety and/or depression. Consultations focused on the feasibility and acceptability of reviewed interventions.Results: The search identified 21 studies reporting on 3241 participants from five countries (71.4% of studies in the US). Multi-component interventions targeting several SOP components (values-clarification, goal-setting, gratitude-enhancement) reported, on average, moderate reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms in young people. Interventions were generally more effective at reducing depression than anxiety symptoms. In terms of sub-populations/groups, there was some evidence for greater intervention effectiveness among young people with prior therapy experience, extraverted personalities, and those with already elevated anxiety/depression symptoms. Youth advisors and experts opined that group interventions were most acceptable to young people.Conclusions: Fostering SOP can lead to better psychological wellbeing in youth. Further research is required in diverse populations and cultures to determine who benefits and in what contexts.