Early Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Post-traumatic Stress Responses in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review

Background: Exposure of children and young people (CYP) to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) is common. There is a need for increased access to early interventions following a PTE.

Objective: This review aimed to identify early psychotherapeutic interventions, which attempted to decrease post-traumatic stress responses and/or reduce the risk of developing persistent PTSD.

Method: We included papers that outlined a psychotherapeutic intervention delivered to CYP in the acute (within 1 month) and early-post trauma period (2-6 months), following a PTE. Four databases were searched: PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Science and ASSIA.

Results: 21 papers met the inclusion criteria. The most frequent technique identified was psychoeducation, often combined with other techniques. Interventions were typically delivered by highly experienced clinical professionals. Two interventions were delivered either by lay counsellors or community facilitators. The majority of interventions were delivered within 1 month.

Discussion: All interventions delivered beyond 1 month after the event showed significant reductions in post-traumatic stress symptoms whereas those delivered within a month yielded mixed results.

Conclusions: There remains a scarcity of evidence into early interventions following PTEs. We identified interventions delivered by community professionals with less clinical experience, which could inform how we increase access to support following PTEs.