A Scoping Review of Trauma-Informed Pediatric Interventions in Response to Natural and Biologic Disasters

Abstract

A scoping review was performed of trauma-informed psychological interventions to treat anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in youth in response to natural/biologic disasters. The specific aims were to identify psychosocial interventions used in response to natural/biologic disasters, report the interventions’ effectiveness, describe limitations, and provide treatment recommendations and future directions. Of the 45 studies extracted, 28 were on natural disasters and 17 on biologic disasters with the majority related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most commonly implemented interventions were Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). The UCLA Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD-RI) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were the most frequently used measures. Methodological rigor was varied, with 60% randomized, controlled trials. Overall, there was a significant decrease in posttraumatic stress symptoms, distress, anxiety, and depression regardless of whether the participant received CBT, TF-CBT, or EMDR. Generally, there was not a significant decrease in anxiety and depression with yoga, cognitive fear-reduction, emotion-based drawing, and community health education. Recommendations for future directions include larger-scale studies with group and on-line interventions that include younger children with moderation analyses by gender and race/ethnicity.