The effectiveness of a multidisciplinary collaborative intervention model on improving anxiety and depression in left-behind children and the study of its social support mechanisms

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary collaborative intervention in reducing anxiety and depression among left-behind children and to examine the mediating role of social support. Methods This study conducted a randomized controlled trial in rural primary schools in Lianyungang City, China, involving 120 left-behind children (grades 4–6), randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group (1:1). The control group received standard mental health education; the intervention group received a 12-week intervention program provided by a multidisciplinary team of professionals from developmental and educational psychology, applied psychology, social work, and clinical medicine. This program integrated psychological counseling, behavioral modification, family support, and community integration. Intervention effects were assessed using the SCARED, CDI, and PSSS scales at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and structural equation modeling. Results At baseline, the groups were comparable ( p > 0.05). Post-intervention, the intervention group had significantly lower anxiety and depression scores and significantly higher social support scores than the control group (all p < 0.001). Follow-up results showed that the intervention effect persisted. Social support was significantly positively correlated with improved emotional well-being (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). The structural equation model confirmed that enhanced family, peer, and community support mediated 67.3% of the total intervention effect. Conclusion The multidisciplinary model effectively alleviates anxiety and depression in left-behind children primarily by strengthening multidimensional social support, demonstrating significant potential for large-scale implementation in public mental health services.