The Contribution of Key Figures to the Mental Health of Adolescents in Urban, Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods in Europe: A Systematic Review

Background:Adolescents are prone to mental health problems, especially when facing sociodemographic vulnerabilities that might restrict access to professional mental health care. Promoting their mental wellbeing requires a context-sensitive, community-based approach and insight into the contributions to adolescents’ mental health that both formal and informal key figures can make as close actors in their everyday environments.

 

Approach: Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science for articles on the contribution of key figures to the mental health of adolescents. We used a predefined PEO-framework, with our 'population' consisting of adolescents aged 10-19 years old and part of urban, disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Europe, the 'exposure' being the contributions of formal and informal key figures (e.g. teachers, sport coaches, peers, family) to the mental health of adolescents, and as 'outcome' adolescents’ perceived impact on their mental health and well-being. We focused on qualitative or mixed-methods studies.

 

 Screening, extraction, and critical appraisal are conducted independently by two reviewers. A thematic narrative synthesis using a combined inductive and deductive approach will be performed, with socio-ecological theory and the public mental health framework guiding our interpretations. The protocol of our review is registered in Prospero (number:

CRD420251044826).

 

Results: We retrieved 3161 articles, of which 32 were withheld for full text screening. At the time of submission, full text screening is ongoing, with definite results to be expected by March 2026. The anticipated results will provide insights into the contribution of key figures to adolescents’ mental health within urban, disadvantaged neighborhoods in Europe, and take contextual factors that shape these contributions into account. Early insights include the lack of qualitative research that involves the perspective of adolescents when it comes to mental health support, specifically within these disadvantaged contexts in Europe.

 

Implications: This review will provide insights into how formal and informal key figures can support and contribute to the promotion of adolescents’ mental health. Results will contribute to the development of relevant, context-sensitive and community-based strategies for mental health promotion and early intervention for adolescents, tailored to urban, disadvantaged contexts within Europe. These insights hold particular significance within current times of increasing pressure on mental health services and growing recognition of the importance of integrated and relational care.