Trauma Interventions in Schools: Assessing the Evidence Base

Schools can play an important role in delivering trauma interventions to students. This systematic review aimed to examine the level of evidence for school-based trauma intervention models, program components across interventions, and the cost benefits of interventions.

A search of major databases, gray literature, and evidence-based registries was conducted to identify individual studies published between 2008 and 2022 that tested the effects of school-based trauma interventions on posttraumatic stress and other mental health outcomes. Using established rating criteria, the authors rated interventions as having high, moderate, or low evidence.

Of the 25 different interventions identified across 39 studies, two were rated as having a high level of evidence (ERASE-Stress and Teaching Recovery Techniques), and four were rated as having moderate evidence. Cognitive-behavioral and creative-expressive techniques were common elements across most high- and moderate-evidence interventions. Cost data on school-based trauma interventions were unavailable.

This systematic review identified several school-based trauma interventions that show effectiveness across a variety of school settings and student populations, making them valuable resources for decision makers. Research is needed on the cost-effectiveness and cost benefits of trauma interventions implemented in school settings.