Trauma-Informed Care Practices to Support Caregivers of Children with Severe Illness: Protocol for A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Family caregivers of children with life-limiting illness or chronic complex medical conditions experience significant psychological challenges related to the diagnosis, treatment, and care of their child. Trauma-informed (or trauma- and resiliency-informed) care interventions targeted at directly preventing or managing trauma-related symptoms using psychological approaches have potential to improve distress and distress-related symptoms among caregivers. The overall objective of this parent-led systematic review is to synthesize the literature on the effect of trauma-informed care services for the prevention and management of traumatic stress and related symptoms in the family caregivers of children with life-limiting or complex medical conditions. Methods Our systematic review will identify studies reviewing the effectiveness of trauma-informed care services for the prevention and management of traumatic stress and related symptoms in family caregivers. We will search Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, the Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, and Social Services Abstracts databases for articles describing trauma-informed care interventions for these family caregivers. All titles and abstracts will be screened independently and in duplicate with discrepancies resolved by caregivers with lived experience. The same process will be used for full-text articles. Data abstraction will also be conducted independently and in duplicate with team members who are caregivers resolving discrepancies. Data analysis will involve syntheses of study results to better understand intervention effect and related complexities. Discussion This family caregiver initiated- and co-lead systematic review will identify, appraise, and report on the effectiveness of trauma-informed care interventions aiming to prevent or manage traumatic stress and related symptoms in the family caregivers of children with life limiting illnesses. This review will provide needed data to inform the co-design and implementation of high-quality care services aimed at health improvements for families of children with life-limiting or chronic complex medical conditions. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022331536 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022331536