Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies that used a control group. Participants were required to be aged between 12 and 25 years with emotional symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Eligible interventions were self help materials used directly by the participant with minimal individual contact with others and delivered through information technology (web-based or stand alone computer programs), paper-based delivery (bibliotherapy) or audiotapes/videotapes. Outcomes were attitude towards self, emotional symptoms and social cognition.
Most participants in the included studies were students recruited as volunteers from advertisements, letters, contact with school personnel or through course entry. The proportion of males ranged from 10% to 100%. Age ranged from 12 to over 23 years. Participants either had anxiety (six studies), depression (two studies) or problems related to anxiety and depression (six studies). Interventions included those delivered by computer (four studies), bibliotherapy (eight studies) and videotapes (two studies). Settings were either specific group sessions, working alone or with minimal contact or working alone at home usually with follow-up by telephone or newsletters. Follow-up ranged from four to 16 weeks. All studies except one were conducted in USA. The authors did not report how the outcomes were measured.
Titles and abstracts of studies identified by the searches were scanned by one reviewer for eligibility. Two reviewers jointly made decisions on eligibility from a list of potentially relevant studies.