The effectiveness of interventions for youth that activate the social network
A meta-analytic study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15029337 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Natasha Koper (0000-0001-6876-9121, Utrecht University, corresponding author), Roos M van der Heijden (University of Amsterdam), Sophie Donk (University of Amsterdam), Thao Kieu (Utrecht University), Hanneke E Creemers (0000-0001-8834-5895, University of Amsterdam), Levi Van Dam (0000-0001-9849-451X, University of Amsterdam), Branje (0000-0002-9999-5313, Utrecht University), Geert Jan J M Stams (0000-0001-6630-8954, University of Amsterdam) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 195-219 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Applied Developmental Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1088-8691 • E-ISSN: 1532-480X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10888691.2024.2317714 |
| OpenAlex | W4392132456 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 103 |
This meta-analysis aimed to examine the effectiveness of interventions for youth that activate the social network for improving youth outcomes (e.g. psychological problems, child safety). A literature search yielded 37 studies with 35 independent samples (N = 712,269) of youth aged 0-26 years (M = 7.20), and 409 effect sizes. A three-level meta-analysis controlling for the dependency among effect sizes within studies showed no overall effect of interventions activating the social network (d = 0.11, p = .241). Yet, moderator analyses revealed positive effects for youth-initiated mentoring interventions (d = 0.46), youth deciding who to involve (d = 0.52), interventions that involve only one person (d = 0.56), European samples (d = 0.40), interventions targeting youth with mental health needs (d = 0.75), data retrieved through questionnaires (d = 0.10) and official records (d = 0.14), assessments completed by professionals (d = 0.34) or parents (d = 0.17), and outcomes that were corrected for pretest differences between conditions (d = 0.27). This meta-analysis demonstrates that social network activation matters for intervention effectiveness under specific conditions
Developmental psychology · Meta-analysis · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Social media · Social network (sociolinguistics · World Wide Web · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Computer Science · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Medicine · Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support
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| Unique citing works | 4 |
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| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |