Taufik Agung Pranowo, Budi Astuti, Farida Agus Setiawati
Introduction: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) has received increasing acknowledgment for its role in fostering adolescents' mental well-being and preventing bullying. However, the impact of SEL programs varies across cultural contexts, and challenges remain in their long-term implementation and sustainability. This study aims to examine the impact of SEL on adolescent mental well-being, social-emotional competence, and bullying prevention. It also explores the challenges and considerations involved in implementing SEL programs across different socio-cultural contexts. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant empirical studies, meta-analyses, narrative reviews, and conceptual papers on SEL programs were analyzed to evaluate their effectiveness. Key themes such as social-emotional development, school climate, and cultural adaptation were assessed to determine best practices and challenges in SEL implementation. Results: Findings indicate that SEL interventions significantly enhance adolescents' mental well-being, improve their social-emotional competence, and contribute to a reduction in bullying. Studies also highlight the importance of culturally relevant SEL adaptations to ensure program effectiveness. Discussion: Despite these positive outcomes, challenges such as inadequate teacher training, resource limitations, and the need for long-term evaluations persist in SEL implementation. Conclusion: While SEL programs are effective in improving adolescent well-being and reducing bullying, addressing contextual challenges and ensuring culturally appropriate adaptations are essential for sustainable and impactful implementation across diverse settings. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Bentham Open. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
