Identification of Types of Interventions Aiming at Psychological Health Enhancement for Family Caregivers of Individuals with War-Induced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Background: Continuous care for patients with post-war stress disorder can affect the psychological health of caregivers. Recognizing the available and credible interventions for enhancing the psychological well-being of caregivers is one of the goals of healthcare providers. Therefore, the present scoping review was conducted with the aim of identifying the types of interventions aiming at enhancing the psychological health and well-being of the family caregivers of individuals suffering from war-induced post-traumatic stress disorder.

Methods: In this scoping review, studies conducted on healthcare interventions aimed at improving the psychological health of family caregivers of individuals with war-induced PTSD, with any study design published in both Persian and English languages, within the timeframe of 2000-2023, were searched in the following databases: PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar, Scopus, ProQuest, Science Direct, Web Of Science,Cochrane , SID, IranDoc, IranMedex, and Magiran. The search utilized the following keywords in English as well as their Persian equivalents: posttraumatic stress disorder, combat veteran, military veteran, psychological intervention, program, therapy, family caregiver, family member, partner, spouse, wife, and veterans' families.

Results: Out of a total of 22,500 articles initially found, ultimately, 11 articles were found to be eligible for this study. A review of the studies revealed that interventions conducted to enhance the psychological well-being of family caregivers of individuals with war-induced post-traumatic stress disorder were broadly categorized into three intervention groups. These interventions groups included the second wave of behavioral therapies (such as cognitive-behavioral strategy training, stress inoculation training, group therapy, and cognitive-based couples therapy), a third wave of behavioral therapy (acceptance and commitment-based therapies, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and mindfulness-based family therapy), and fourth wave of behavioral therapy (spiritual-religious interventions, hope therapy, logotherapy, internet-based interventions, and online education).

Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be stated that the third wave of behavioral interventions, where behavioral strategies take precedence over traditional cognitive strategies, may prove beneficial in reducing psychological symptomatology and enhancing the psychological well-being of family caregivers of individuals with war-induced PTSD, compared to interventions in other categories. However, the clear lack of data underscores the need for further research into the psychological well-being of caregivers of individuals with war-induced PTSD.