Interventions for promoting resilience among adolescents in South Asia: A scoping review

Abstract

Resilience has emerged as a crucial factor in healthy coping, navigating adversity, and protection against mental health problems, including suicidal ideation, among adolescents. The literature on programs and initiatives promoting adolescent resilience in South Asia, home to 350 million adolescents, is sparse and has not been systematically studied. This scoping review synthesises the evidence on resilience-promoting interventions targeting South Asian adolescents. Drawing on scoping review methodology, we searched 10 databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, to identify peer-reviewed studies published between January 1, 2000, and March 23, 2024. With no language barriers, we included studies targeting adolescents aged 10–19 with resilience identified as a primary or secondary outcome of interest. From 3987 searches, we identified 13 interventions from India, Pakistan, and Nepal targeting diverse subpopulations. Common active intervention components included mindfulness, art-based expression, and life skills training. Most interventions were delivered face-to-face through group lessons and activities, particularly in a classroom setting. Outside of the school setting, there is a need to adapt and scale multilevel community-led resilience-promoting interventions that enhance social scaffolding for adolescents in the region.