Effectiveness of Poverty Reduction Programs on Psychological Development of Children and Adolescents at Risk of Poverty: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Considering the potential detrimental impact of poverty on psychological development and the resulting harmful cycles, implementing poverty alleviation interventions is necessary for children and adolescents. Although several meta-analyses have demonstrated the effectiveness of monetary poverty reduction programs, there remains a significant gap in understanding how multidimensional poverty reduction strategies boost psychological development. This meta-analysis aims to address this gap by disclosing the impact of multifaceted anti-poverty interventions on the psychological development of children and adolescents. A comprehensive search was conducted through 12 electronic databases. This review identified nine studies, which included a variety of intervention elements such as educational support, skill training, and cognitive cultivation, and collectively involved 1434 participants. A random effect model by RevMan v5.4 software was adapted to carry out the meta-analysis. The findings reveal a significant effect of anti-poverty programs on promoting positive psychological development (e.g. resilience, grit, and self-esteem) and mitigating negative psychological outcomes (e.g. depression, anxiety and disengagement). Subgroup analyses showed that smaller groups (100 or fewer participants) led to greater improvements in positive psychological outcomes. Professional providers (e.g., psychologists, social workers) had a stronger impact on improving positive psychological outcomes, while non-professional providers (e.g., school teachers) were more effective at alleviating psychological difficulties.