Story-based interventions for chronic health conditions in youth: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

To systematically review the literature on the implementation and effectiveness of story-based interventions for youth with chronic conditions to improve health-related outcomes.

The protocol for this review was registered with PROSPERO: CRD42024550328. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, CINHAL, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Databases were searched from inception to June 2024. Studies were included if the intervention was story-based, the sample had a mean or median age between 11 and 25, and participants had a chronic condition. Studies were limited to quantitative and mixed methods. Three reviewers independently screened abstracts and full text for eligibility. Risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Effect sizes were extracted or calculated. Reported qualitative findings were narratively synthesized.

Of the 3,797 articles screened, 7 articles met the inclusion criteria. Considerable variation existed across studies in intervention goals, components, and outcomes assessed. Notable impacts were related to improvement in distress and depressive symptoms. Intervention strategies ranged from autobiographical writing to digital formats such as video narratives and online participatory community sites. Interventions demonstrated mixed impact in improving health-related outcomes with effect sizes ranging from -0.54 to 5.50.

Story-based interventions focused on youth with chronic illness provide promising means to elicit relevant experiences and impact health outcomes. The knowledge base is in a formative stage and characterized by multicomponent interventions with research designs that do not support strong causal inference. Further research is warranted to replicate outcomes and understand active intervention components.