Psychosocial Interventions to Improve Social Functioning of Children and Adolescents With Chronic Physical Conditions: A Systematic Review
Children's Health Care
Forgeron, P., King, S., et al. (2018).
Children's Health Care, 47(3), 326-355.
This systematic review investigates the effect of psychosocial interventions on social functioning outcomes (e.g., social problems, peer relationships) in children and adolescents, 5 to 18 years old, with chronic non-malignant physical conditions (e.g., epilepsy, pain).
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa (Canada)
From database inception to May 1, 2016
Primary quantitative research studies
13
For children and adolescents with chronic health conditions, psychosocial interventions provided during in-person groups demonstrated some evidence of improving social outcomes as compared to online, asynchronous formats. Interventions specifically targeting social functioning across multiple sessions demonstrated greater improvements in social outcomes as compared to interventions providing sessions targeting multiple domains (e.g., coping, disease management) with only one session targeting social functioning.
For children and adolesecents, psychosocial interventions decreased loneliness and peer problems and improved positive social behaviors and social acceptance. Studies found inconsistent outcomes in self-worth, perception of the social self, and social support. Interventions targeting a broad range of social skills, rather than only targeting how to communicate with peers about their health condition, demonstrated the most robust improvements. Six of the 13 included studies reported maintenance of improved social functioning over time.
