Table 1 Comparison of anxiety score reduction of various universal level FRIENDS programmes (in comparison with control groups)

Barrett and Turner (2001)

AUS

10–12 year

M = 10.75

10 + 2 s

75 min

Randomized block design (by school)

SCAS

Teacher-I 27.00 (17.99)

Psychologist-I 26.76 (15.23)

C 27.44 (12.37)

Teacher-I 18.77 (14.45)

Psychologist-I 19.14 (11.89)

C 23.15 (13.04)

T-I 0.46

P-I 0.50

C 0.35

Lowry–Webster et al. (2001)

AUS

10–13 year

10 + 2 s

60 min

Randomized block design (by school)

SCAS

I 28.09 (18.45)

C 31.45 (14.76)

I 18.33 (14.07)

C 28.23 (17.80)

I (12 m FU) 16.66 (13.91)

C 27.54 (20.06)

I 0.53

C 0.22

I 0.62

C 0.27

Barrett, Sonderegger and Xenos (2003)

AUS

7–19 year

10 s

60 min

Block design (randomization not specified)

RCMAS

I-CHN 12.67 (7.63)

C-CHN 9.41 (5.70)

I-YUG 12.89 (7.56)

C-YUG 14.75 (2.50)

I-CHN 6.50 (6.00)

C-CHN 12.04 (7.28)

I-YUG 6.26 (5.34)

C-YUG 14.75 (2.50)

I 0.43

C 0.46

I 0.88

C 0.00

Lock and Barrett (2003)

AUS

9–10 year, 14–16 year

10 + 2 s

Randomized block design (by school)

SCAS

I 22.06 (13.94)

C 24.40 (12.74)

I 17.64 (12.95)

C 21.26 (12.60)

I (12 m FU) 14.89 (11.64)

C 17.30 (11.99)

I 0.32

C 0.25

I 0.52

C 0.56

Barrett, Lock and Farrell (2005)

AUS

9–10 year, 14–16 year

10 + 2 s

60 min

Randomized block design (by school)

SCAS

H I 43.41 (10.81)

H C 42.32 (10.75)

M I 26.18 (2.46)

M C 26.91 (2.43)

L I 14.85 (5.36)

L C 14.34 (5.28)

H I 30.92 (10.89)

H C 28.53 (12.03)

M I 21.90 (10.13)

M C 21.28 (9.23)

L I 14.38 (8.79)

L C 13.71 (8.29)

H I 21.06 (13.71)

H C 26.65 (15.35)

M I 17.72 (10.61)

M C 18.93 (13.76)

L I 11.11 (9.12)

L C 12.41 (9.11)

H I 1.16

H C 0.51

M I 0.34

M C 0.39

L I 0.09

L C 0.12

H I 2.07

H C 0.58

M I 0.68

MC 0.56

L I 0.70

L C 0.37

Mostert and Loxton (2008)

ZAF

12 year

5 s

120 min

Quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group

SCAS

I 42.12 (15.82)

C 40.14 (12.42)

I 37.48 (16.26)

C 38.05 (12.72)

I (6 m) 31.64 (16.61)

C 33.71 (16.24)

I 0.29

C 0.17

I 0.66

C 0.52

Gallegos (2008)

MEX

8–13 year

M = 9.9

10 + 2 s

75 min

Quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group

SCAS

I 25.82 (8.77)

C 27.57 (7.95)

I 24.89 (10.18)

C 26.42(10.14)

I (6 m) 22.40 (10.51)

C 24.31 (10.11)

I 0.11

C 0.15

I 0.39

C 0.41

Rose, Miller and Martinez (2009)

CAN

4th

8–9 year

8 s

60 min

Block design (randomization not specified)

MASC

I 62.35 (17.00)

C 53.65 (19.82)

I 56.88 (20.33)

C 52.73 (16.50)

I 0.32

C 0.05

Miller et al. (2011)

CAN

4th–6th

M = 9.8

9 s

60 min

Randomized block design (By school)

MASC

I 47.10 (17.57)

C 47.64 (18.51)

I 45.17 (15.25)

C 42.38 (16.10)

I (17 m) 39.42 (13.40)

C 36.97 (16.68)

I 0.11

C 0.29

I 0.44

C 0.58

Miller et al. (2011)

CAN

4th–6th

M = 9.77

9 s

60 min

Randomized block design (By school)

MASC

I 45.20 (19.10)

C 47.19 (17.73)

I 43.35 (20.31)

C 45.61 (18.70)

I (3 m) 38.77 (17.86)

C 42.10 (18.34)

I 0.10

C 0.09

I 0.34

C 0.29

Essau et al. (2012)

GER

9–12 year

M = 10.91

10 + 2 s 60 min

Randomized block design (By school)

SCAS

I 22.53 (12.3)

C 23.92 (12.2)

I 20.96 (11.7)

C 23.31 (11.9)

I (6 m) 18.56 (12.2)

C 24.44 (12.9)

I 0.13

C 0.05

I 0.32

C −0.04

Stallard et al. (2014)

GBR

9–10 year

9 s

60 min

Cluster randomized design (By school)

RCADS30

Health-led 26.24 (15.56)

School-led 24.91 (14.32)

Usual-school 26.78 (16.32)

Health-led 19.49 (14.81)

School-led 22.86 (15.24)

Usual-school 22.48 (15.74)

I 0.43

I 0.14

C 0.26

Rodgers and Dunsmuir, (2015)

GBR

12–13 year

10 s

60 min

Randomized design (individual)

SCAS

I 24.68 (13.19)

C 20.8 (16.5)

I 19.43 (8.97)

C 19.96 (14.93)

I (4 m) 12.06 (6.91)

C 16.16 (12.89)

I 0.40

C 0.05

I 0.96

C 0.28