Introduction

Children and youth in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) are at greater risk for poor mental health. Adverse circumstances including poverty, violence, and lack of available psychological treatments increase their vulnerability. Given the importance of the family environment for child and youth wellbeing, family interventions are a powerful model of treatment; however, their development and evaluation has received relatively little attention in LMIC. This review presents evidence for family- and parent-focused interventions on mental health outcomes for children and youth in LMIC and identifies treatment components present in promising interventions.

Conclusion

Evidence for family-focused interventions for child and youth mental health in LMIC is growing with several promising approaches that should be more rigorously evaluated. Further research into effects of specific intervention components will ensure targeted and optimally effective interventions.