Effectiveness of interventions for interpersonal functioning among adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms: A meta-analysis
- Forfatter(e)
- Ong, Sabrina Ee-Ying, Ahmadi Forooshani, Sayedhabibollah, Izadikhah, Zahra, Krishnamoorthy, Govind
- År
- 2026
- Tidsskrift
- Journal of Adolescence
- Sider
- No Pagination Specified
- Kategori(er)
- Traumatiske belastninger/stress (PTSD) Sosiale ferdigheter (inkl. vennerelasjoner)
- Tiltakstype(r)
- Kognitiv atferdsterapi, atferdsterapi og kognitiv terapiFysisk aktivitet
- Abstract
Introduction: Adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms often experience interpersonal difficulties; however, the effectiveness of existing interventions in improving interpersonal functioning remains unclear. This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of current interventions on interpersonal functioning among adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms.
Methods: A systematic search identified 17 studies comprising 35 therapeutic effect sizes that met the inclusion criteria. Effect sizes were synthesised using meta‐analytic procedures, and potential moderators, including intervention type, mode, and number of sessions, were examined.
Results: The aggregated post‐intervention effect size was small but statistically significant (g = 0.39, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.28, 0.49]). Intervention type and mode significantly moderated outcomes. Trauma‐Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF‐CBT) demonstrated the largest effect size, while mixed intervention formats involving both individual and conjoint or group sessions showed greater efficacy than group‐only approaches. At the 3‐month follow‐up, based on six effect measurements, the aggregated effect size was medium (g = 0.54, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.28, 0.81]). Although the number of sessions did not significantly moderate postintervention outcomes, interventions with more sessions were associated with stronger follow‐up effects.
Conclusions: Current interventions demonstrate small post‐intervention and medium follow‐up effects on interpersonal functioning. However, the findings highlight a lack of robust and consistent evidence regarding the adequacy and long‐term effectiveness of existing interventions. Further high‐quality research is needed to examine interventions that directly target trauma‐related mechanisms influencing interpersonal functioning and to rigorously evaluate their long‐term effectiveness among adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms.