School Programs for the Prevention of Mental Health Problems and the Promotion of Psychological Well-being in Children

Childhood and adolescence provide key opportunities to promote optimal functioning and prevent mental health disorders. Schools represent an ideal setting for this goal. The main effective, evidence-based school interventions are listed in the chapter, but a paucity of interventions specifically focused on well-being according to the eudaimonic perspective emerged. Recently, a new school program for the promotion of psychological well-being and optimal human functioning has been developed: The Well-Being Therapy (WBT) school intervention. Its applicability and effectiveness were tested in controlled studies, documenting that enhancing specific well-being dimensions among students may result in reducing distress and anxiety and improving developmental processes.