Healing the Invisible Wounds: A Narrative Review of Trauma-Focused Interventions for War-Affected Children and...

War and armed conflict have profound and lasting psychological consequences for children and adolescents, significantly increasing their risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. This narrative review provides an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on trauma-focused interventions for this vulnerable population. A systematic search of eight databases (2019-2025) identified 10 high-quality reviews. Findings confirm that structured, evidence-based interventions-including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and school-based programs-effectively reduce trauma-related symptoms. Critical themes underscore the importance of cultural and contextual adaptation, the effectiveness of multi-tiered care systems, and significant gaps in long-term follow-up and functional outcome measurement. While digital interventions show promise for improving accessibility, their efficacy is enhanced by guided support. This review concludes that effective trauma care must move beyond a sole focus on symptom reduction to embrace a holistic, culturally grounded, and sustainable approach that prioritizes local capacity building and integration within broader support systems. Evidence-based recommendations are provided to guide researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.