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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Sep;69(9):795-808.
doi: 10.1111/jir.70014. Epub 2025 Jul 14.

Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions for Youth With Mild Intellectual Disabilities or Borderline Intellectual Functioning and Externalising Problems: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis

Eva Kühl  1 , Ina M Koning  2 , Maja Deković  3 , Sander Thomaes  1 , Juliëtte M Liber  4   5
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions for Youth With Mild Intellectual Disabilities or Borderline Intellectual Functioning and Externalising Problems: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis

Eva Kühl et al. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2025 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: This meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for youth with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF) and externalising problems.

Methods: We assessed 2221 studies for eligibility and included seven studies containing 14 effect sizes. We used a multilevel modelling approach to analyse the data and calculated two different types of effect sizes: one for controlled trials and one for intervention pre-test to post-test effects (across all studies).

Results: Both controlled trial effect sizes (g = 0.49) and pre-test to post-test effect sizes were significant (g = 0.53). We were unable to detect heterogeneity of effects because of the small number of eligible studies. The risk of bias was generally high.

Discussion: Results suggest that psychosocial interventions decrease externalising problems among youth with MID-BIF. Effect sizes appear similar to those for youth without MID-BIF. We discuss recommendations for how the field can move forward.

Keywords: borderline intellectual functioning; externalising problems; intellectual disabilities; meta‐analysis; psychosocial intervention.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flow diagram of the search and selection process.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Forest plots of externalising behaviour effect sizes.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Funnel plot with standard errors along the Y‐axis plotted against effect controlled and pre‐ to post‐test sizes (Hedges' g) along the X‐axis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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