Implementation of School-Based Mental Health Workshops for Anxiety Disorders in Urban Ghanaian Secondary Schools: A Three-Year Impact Study

Urban secondary schools in Ghana are facing increasing mental health challenges among students, particularly anxiety disorders. A comprehensive search was conducted using multiple databases and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies were included if they met specific criteria related to study design, population, interventions, outcomes, and publication language. Workshops led to significant reductions in anxiety symptoms among students, with a mean reduction of 15% in anxiety scores over the three-year period (95% CI: [10%, 20%]). The workshops had a positive impact on reducing anxiety disorders among urban Ghanaian secondary school students. Further research should explore long-term effects and sustainability of these interventions, as well as potential cost-effectiveness analyses. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.