Psychosocial interventions for children and young people with visible differences resulting from appearance altering conditions, injury, or treatment effects: An updated systematic review

Waite, Emma; Jenkinson, Elizabeth; Kershaw, Saskia; Guest, Ella

Abstract

Objective: Children and young people with visible differences can experience psychosocial difficulties, such as anxiety and teasing by others. Interventions targeting difficulties have previously been reviewed by Jenkinson et al. (2015). This review aimed to identify and critically assess recent studies evaluating the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for children and young people with visible differences on psychosocial wellbeing, self-esteem, and social experiences and compare the findings with Jenkinson et al (2015) using a replacement review process. Methods: Inclusion criteria: studies with participants aged 0-18 years with visible differences; investigating a psychosocial intervention; including comparison with an alternative intervention, control group, or pre- and post-intervention; including a quantitative measure assessed pre- and post-intervention. Exclusion criteria: participants with body dysmorphic disorder or appearance changes due to eating disorders or obesity and studies not written in English. MEDLINE, AMED, and PsycInfo were searched and grey literature was included. Results were reviewed against eligibility criteria, data were extracted, and studies were evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Results: Using Jenkinson et al. (2015) as one source of studies, twenty-four studies were included evaluating a range of interventions such as social interaction skills training, residential social camps, and cognitive behavioural therapy. Risk of bias was high in twenty studies and of some concern in four studies. Conclusions: There is some evidence of the effectiveness of hypnotherapy, a relaxation response resiliency program, integrative body-mind-spirit group, and therapeutic patient education, but more rigorous research is needed to confirm their impact on psychosocial outcomes.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 22, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Nov 7, 2023
• Publication Date: Jan 31, 2024
• Deposit Date: Oct 23, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 9, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Pediatric Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0146-8693
• Electronic ISSN: 1465-735X
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 77–88
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsad080
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11391115