Interventions for professional trauma caregivers: A meta-analysis.

Objective: The present meta-analysis aimed to investigate which are the most efficient psychological and physical interventions for professional caregivers.

Method: The study was realized using information extracted from 28 randomized controlled trials, totaling 2,168 participants, with mean ages between 22.88 and 48.54, of which 64.7% were females. The records were identified in relevant international databases of scientific articles, such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane, and dissertation databases ProQuest Dissertations, DART-Europe E-theses Portal, and EThOS, for gray literature. The targeted population was represented by professional trauma caregivers, a group consisting of medical personnel, psychologists, and social workers.

Results: Out of the 28 trials included, 16 studies were performed on medical personnel, four on mental health personnel, two on social workers, and six on mixed groups. The statistical analysis revealed a main effect size of = 0.541, 95% CI [0.383, 0.700], < .001, which indicates an overall medium effect of the interventions. Effect sizes were compared and analyzed based on continuous and categorical moderators, which did not prove significant except for the female percentage.

Conclusions: The current findings support that all interventions are adequate and outperform control groups. Based on the literature review that was made before the onset of this meta-analysis, there seems to be no other study realized in such an exhaustive format. The implications predominantly target practitioners in how to approach professional trauma caregivers who seek treatment. Future research should further investigate this population as a whole and consider including culture as a moderator. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).