Participatory research methods and tools for promoting children's psychological well-being : a systematic review

Abstract

With the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among young populations, participatory methods have gained attention for their potential to engage children in the design and implementation of interventions aimed at enhancing their psychological well-being. Despite the growing body of research involving children and adolescents, there remains a significant gap in the literature regarding the systematic use of participatory methods specifically tailored to this demographic. This systematic review addresses the research gap in tailored participatory approaches for improving psychological well-being among children and adolescents amid rising youth mental health challenges. Analyzing 14 empirical studies (1990–2024) in English from Web of Science, Ebscohost, Scope, PsycINFO, three key findings emerge. First, diverse participatory tools—such as creative workshops, art-based activities, and digital platforms—effectively engage youth as active co-designers of interventions, enhancing their agency and ownership. Second, psychological well-being is primarily conceptualized through positive emotional indicators (e.g., happiness, belonging), with limited integration of cognitive, behavioral, or social functioning dimensions. Third, participatory methods increasingly serve dual roles: as research frameworks capturing contextualized needs and as empowerment-driven interventions fostering resilience and self-efficacy. While small sample sizes constrain generalizability, the study underscores participatory methods’ dual value—methodologically, they reveal nuanced well-being dynamics. Practically, they create youth-centered pathways for psychological well-being improvement. The findings advocate for standardized metrics to evaluate participatory methods’ effectiveness and emphasize cross-cultural adaptations to enhance applicability. This synthesis provides actionable insights for developing age-specific interventions, urging policymakers and practitioners to prioritize participatory paradigms that bridge research and real-world psychological well-being outcomes.