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Published on: August 16, 2019
Parent Interventions Improve Behavior After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Carly A Cermak1, Sarah A McCabe, Brianna Kuchurean
1Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Drs Cermak, Tendera, and Beal and Mss McCabe, Kuchurean, and Schaefer); Rehabilitation Sciences Institute (Drs Cermak and Beal), and Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Faculty of Medicine (Ms Kuchurean and Dr Beal), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Parent interventions effectively improve child behavior after pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Factors like child age and parent mental health influence outcomes, guiding clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Behavioral science
- Clinical psychology
Background:
- Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) often leads to significant behavioral challenges.
- Parent interventions are increasingly recognized as a key component in managing TBI-related behavioral issues.
- Evidence synthesis is needed to understand the efficacy of parent interventions for pediatric TBI behavior outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating parent interventions for children with TBI.
- To examine child behavior change scores as the primary outcome.
- To identify factors influencing the effectiveness of these interventions.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search across major databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL).
- Inclusion criteria focused on RCTs of parent interventions for pediatric TBI with available child behavior outcome data.
- Seven studies met the inclusion criteria for analysis.
Main Results:
- All reviewed interventions demonstrated improved child behavior following pediatric TBI.
- Child and parent-specific factors were found to modulate the effectiveness of interventions.
- Key influencing factors included child's age, baseline behavior, sociodemographics, and parent mental health.
Conclusions:
- Parent interventions show strong evidence for improving child behavior outcomes after pediatric TBI.
- Clinicians should consider individual child and parent factors when implementing interventions.
- Personalized approaches may enhance treatment efficacy for pediatric TBI behavioral issues.
Objective:
To examine child behavior change scores from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of parent interventions for pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Methods:
MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched to identify studies that examined parent interventions for pediatric TBI. Inclusion criteria included (i) a parent intervention for children with TBI; (ii) an RCT study design; (iii) statistical data for child behavior outcome(s); and (iv) studies that were published in English.
Results:
Seven studies met inclusion criteria. All interventions reported improved child behavior after pediatric TBI; however, child and parent factors contributed to behavior change scores in some interventions. Factors found to contribute to the level of benefit included age of child, baseline behavior levels, sociodemographics (eg, parent income, parent education), and parent mental health.
Conclusion:
Improved child behavior outcomes resulting from parent interventions for pediatric TBI are well supported by the evidence in the peer-reviewed literature. Clinicians are encouraged to consider child and parent factors as they relate to child behavior outcomes.
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