Effectiveness of Interventions for Interpersonal Functioning Among Adolescents With Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: A...

Adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms often experience interpersonal difficulties; however, the effectiveness of existing interventions in improving interpersonal functioning remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of current interventions on interpersonal functioning among adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms.

A systematic search identified 17 studies comprising 35 therapeutic effect sizes that met the inclusion criteria. Effect sizes were synthesised using meta-analytic procedures, and potential moderators, including intervention type, mode, and number of sessions, were examined.

The aggregated post-intervention effect size was small but statistically significant (g = 0.39, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.28, 0.49]). Intervention type and mode significantly moderated outcomes. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) demonstrated the largest effect size, while mixed intervention formats involving both individual and conjoint or group sessions showed greater efficacy than group-only approaches. At the 3-month follow-up, based on six effect measurements, the aggregated effect size was medium (g = 0.54, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.28, 0.81]). Although the number of sessions did not significantly moderate post-intervention outcomes, interventions with more sessions were associated with stronger follow-up effects.

Current interventions demonstrate small post-intervention and medium follow-up effects on interpersonal functioning. However, the findings highlight a lack of robust and consistent evidence regarding the adequacy and long-term effectiveness of existing interventions. Further high-quality research is needed to examine interventions that directly target trauma-related mechanisms influencing interpersonal functioning and to rigorously evaluate their long-term effectiveness among adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms.