The goal of this research is to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis examining the sustained impacts of programs designed to enhance mental health literacy and/or decrease stigmatizing views among children and adolescents. Publications in English or German from January 1997 to May 2020 were searched across five databases, resulting in an initial identification of 4,375 unique articles. Following the application of exclusion standards, 25 studies were selected for inclusion, with 13 suitable for meta-analytic synthesis. The mean follow-up duration across studies was approximately 5 months. Sustained positive effects over the long term were observed for mental health literacy, d = 0.48, 95 percent CI = (0.34, 0.62), stigmatizing attitudes, d = 0.30, 95 percent CI = (0.24, 0.36), and social distance, d = 0.16, 95 percent CI = (0.03, 0.29). Interventions incorporating both educational and contact elements yielded poorer outcomes for mental health literacy, though this was not the case for stigmatizing attitudes or social distance. Programs aimed at children and adolescents typically feature short follow-up intervals averaging 5 months. These initiatives demonstrate enduring gains in mental health literacy, yet they achieve more limited success in reducing stigma toward mental illness or decreasing social distance.
