Table 1 PICO Statement Guiding the Exploratory Meta-Analysis

P (Population)

Youth aged 14–24 years (i.e., mean age of the sample within this range) experiencing depression (i.e., in samples with mixed presenting problems, > 50% of youth must have above-threshold symptoms of depression or emotional difficulties).

I (Intervention)

Problem-Solving Therapy (i.e., problem-solving training delivered as an intervention in its own right, rather than a component of a broader therapy package).

C (Comparison)

Waitlist, placebo, attention placebo, or control condition.

O (Outcome)

Self-reported depression severity (continuous).