Purpose: Research demonstrates tremendous harmful effects for children and adolescents that have experienced trauma of various forms before the age of eighteen. These effects are profound as not only are they linked to current detrimental effects such as increased rates of substance abuse, early sexual activity, higher rates of depression, and suicidal ideation, but they also have shown to be damaging in adulthood. This systematic review provides an examination of interventions that reduce the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) for Black/African American children and adolescents. Methods: This study used an intervention assessment tool to determine the methodological rigor derived from the American Psychological Association on assessing interventions as the risk of bias tool. The methodological rigor was used to assess the interventions that reduce the effects of ACEs. Effect sizes for controlled trials, pre-post effect sizes, and pilot studies were calculated. Results: This search identified a total of 1,594 studies in which 617 were screened and five were selected. The five utilized harm reduction interventions to address the effects of ACEs. All of the study participants were Black/African American children and adolescents. The effect sizes that were available ranged from medium to large. The Strong African American Families Program (SAAF) intervention had the strongest methodological rigor with a medium effect size. Conclusion: The review suggests that the combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and psychoeducational training techniques provided positive effects on the reduction of ACE related symptoms for Black/African American children and adolescents. The randomized control trials yielded the greatest improvements from the interventions. However, the findings were few and the need for interventions for this population continue to grow.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.