Samenvatting

Improving teenagers’ mental health is a major challenge in today’s society. Improving this requires a preventive approach with a focus on social-emotional skills. Education serves as an important environment for teenagers to develop these skills. School-based social-emotional learning programs are effective in enhancing teenagers’ social-emotional skills (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making). These programs, increasingly implemented in schools globally, have shown positive effects, including improved self-esteem, emotional regulation, social competence, as well as improved academic performance. Moreover, they have shown reductions in problematic behaviors such as bullying and substance use. Key factors in social-emotional learning programs that influence their effects include the integration of psychoeducation and skills training, the balance of program components, the duration of the program, and the involvement of the entire school community. However, social-emotional learning programs are not one size-fits all. Adapting these programs to meet the diverse needs of different teenage populations, including those with special educational needs, is important for their effectiveness.