Body and Movement-Oriented Interventions in adolescents' trauma: a scoping review

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in new therapeutic approaches to treat trauma, namely through Body and/or Movement-Oriented Interventions (BMOIs), seeking to change the way the body responds to traumatic experiences. This is a recent research field, and it has focused mainly on adults. As traumatic experiences deeply affect adolescents, it is crucial to understand if BMOIs are effective approaches to reduce trauma-based symptoms in this population.

The knowledge about the effects of BMOIs in traumatized adolescents is still limited. This paper aims to address this gap by reviewing the research on BMOIs to systematize their effects on adolescents' trauma-based symptoms.

A meticulous search of databases and grey literature was conducted to gather relevant information on this research topic. Studies published between 2000 and 2024 were analysed. Ninety relevant studies were identified, nine of which met the inclusion criteria. The selected studies were analysed to assess their characteristics and procedures and the effects of BMOIs.

The results suggest that BMOIs may be promising approaches to reduce PTSD symptoms and PTSD comorbidities, such as mood or anxiety disorders. They also indicate BMOIs potentiality at improving arousal regulation, contributing to normalise excitability and reactivity patterns.

This study demonstrates that BMOIs may have a positive impact on adolescents' trauma-based symptoms and on psychophysiological patterns affected by traumatic experiences. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that BMOIs are valid approaches to address trauma in this population.