Interventions and strategies for addressing behavioural effects of adverse childhood experiences: a scoping review.

Abstract

The long-term psychological and physiological effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have been widely researched. Interventions that treat ACE have been less researched, but there are interventions that have shown efficacy in reducing the harmful effects of ACE. Objective: This study aims to explore the availability of evidence-based interventions for addressing the behavioural effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and provides recommendations for applying them in the South African context. Methods and Analysis: A scoping review was conducted to synthesise available literature on evidence-based interventions that treat ACE. The data was charted according to author, year, study title, interventions and strategies utilised, and results. The data were screened through a PRISMA-ScR flow diagram according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and a total of 12 studies were eligible for inclusion. Results and Discussion: Demonstrated themes were identified thematically to provide a narrative interpretation of the included literature. The interventions were reviewed according to their approach, including family, school-based, institution-led, and individual-focused. School-based interventions, parenting programmes and individual psychotherapy interventions show various levels of success as is discussed here. Gaps in the literature highlight limited research on interventions designed or tested for the South African population. Conclusion and Recommendations: Evidence-based interventions that treat the behavioural effects of ACE show efficacy in various settings and have proven to reduce the harmful effects of ACE. More interventions should be researched in the South African context as the diverse cultures, and high exposure to trauma and violence could impact the efficacy of interventions.