Strengthening social networks is an important goal in mental health treatment. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of social network interventions for psychiatric patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted comparing these interventions with control groups on social and mental health-related outcomes in psychiatric patients. PubMed, EMBASE.com, PsycInfo, Scopus, and IBSS were searched for studies until December 21, 2022. Three-level random effects models were used to obtain Cohen's d mean estimates on composite outcomes of social network and secondary mental health outcomes. Heterogeneity was examined with potential moderators. Thirty-three studies were included. Small-to-moderate effects of social network interventions were detected on positive social network (d = 0.115, p = 0.022) and support (d = 0.159; p = 0.007), general functioning (d = 0.127, p = 0.046), mental health treatment adherence (d = 0.332, p = 0.003), days substance use (d = 0.097, p = 0.004), and abstinence (d = 0.254, p = 0.004). Estimates of psychiatric functioning were higher in samples with more females. The quality of evidence was moderate-to-low. This evidence suggests that social network interventions can improve positive social networks, general functioning, mental health treatment adherence, and substance use in psychiatric patients receiving usual care.

PROSPERO ID: CRD42019131959.

加强社交网络是心理健康治疗的一个重要目标。本研究旨在确定社交网络干预对精神病患者的有效性。我们进行了系统回顾和荟萃分析，将这些干预措施与对照组对精神病患者的社会和心理健康相关结果进行了比较。检索 PubMed、EMBASE.com、PsycInfo、Scopus 和 IBSS 的研究截至 2022 年 12 月 21 日。使用三水平随机效应模型来获得对社交网络和次要心理健康结果的复合结果的Cohen d 均值估计。用潜在的调节剂检查异质性。包括三十三项研究。在积极的社交网络（ d  = 0.115，p  = 0.022）和支持（d  = 0.159；p  = 0.007）、一般功能（d  = 0.127，p  = 0.046）、心理方面，检测到社交网络干预的小到中度影响健康治疗依从性（d  = 0.332，p  = 0.003）、物质使用天数（d  = 0.097，p  = 0.004）和戒断（d  = 0.254，p  = 0.004）。女性较多的样本中，精神功能的估计值较高。证据质量为中到低。这一证据表明，社交网络干预措施可以改善接受常规护理的精神病患者的积极社交网络、一般功能、心理健康治疗依从性和物质使用。

普洛斯彼罗 ID：CRD42019131959。