Improving emotion regulation ability after brain injury: A systematic review of targeted interventions

Emotion dysregulation is a common sequela after a brain injury, and it can have serious negative consequences for individuals, families, and the community. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify and evaluate interventions designed to improve emotion regulation ability in adults with acquired brain injury. Studies were identified on ProQuest, PsycInfo, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science; last searched on 3 August 2023. A review protocol was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020218175). Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool (version 2). Sixteen studies were included in the review comprising one case series, five pilot studies, four pre-post studies, and six RCTs. There was a total of 652 participants across studies. Fourteen of the sixteen studies reported statistically significant improvements in at least one emotional functioning variable. Ten studies reported medium-large effect sizes. Limitations included inconsistency in the measurement, reporting of intervention outcomes and processes. Future directions are discussed.