Interventions with the aim to reduce the chance of relapse.

Maintenance interventions for youth affected by war/conflict



Interventions to reduce either distress and symptoms.

Treatment interventions for youth affected by war/conflict

Upstream intervention to address risk and protective factors prior to onset of problems

Prevention interventions for youth affected by war/conflict

The act of tracing involves locating a child's primary legal or typical caregivers as well as other family members. Its primary objective is to identify a sustainable resolution that aligns with the child's best interests, often entailing reuniting the child with their parents or other immediate kin. While there is limited research on the effectiveness of child-tracing interventions in improving mental health outcomes, reuniting separated families is an important step towards promoting mental well-being in war zones. However, peer-reviewed studies demonstrating significant links between child tracing, family reunification, and psychosocial adjustment have not yet been published.

Child tracing

A trial conducted in Bosnia over a five-month period investigated the impact of a short-term, group-based psychosocial intervention on mother-child dyads compared to a control group that received only free medical care. The intervention, developed by the International Child Development Programme, incorporated successful techniques previously used with the Bosnian population and theory-driven treatments from other settings. The results of the pre/post-intervention assessment showed a slight positive impact on maternal mental health, children's weight gain, and their psychosocial functioning and mental health. However, the study's limitations included a small intervention sample size (n=87 dyads), lack of involvement of male caregivers, and challenging environmental conditions that made intervention delivery difficult.

Dyad psychosocial support/treatment for war-affected children

A pilot study was conducted with 30 families in postwar Kosovo who were living with severe mental illness, using a multiple-family group intervention that also included individual home visits. Led by a local psychiatrist and nurse and supervised by trained local service teams and American study consultants, the intervention comprised seven sessions of psychoeducation on chronic mental illness. The objective was to enhance compliance with psychiatric medication for war-affected individuals undergoing treatment and improve mental health service use among families. The group sessions covered several topics, such as psychoeducation, medication use and side effects, psychosocial causes and effects of relapse, responding to symptoms, crisis response, accessing professional mental health services, and building resilience. Positive outcomes were reported on both measures, but including information on child mental health outcomes would have made the study design more robust. The study employed a collaborative approach to delivery, working closely with Kosovar partners.

Multiple-family group intervention for war-affected children/families

A type of intervention with an ecological focus on the Family.

Michigan State University

- Individual 
- Family 
- Peer/school
- Community
- Multilevel

Socio-ecological levels of interventions for youth affected by war/conflict

Betancourt, T. S., Meyers-Ohki, S. E., Charrow, A. P., & Tol, W. A. (2013). Interventions for children affected by war: an ecological perspective on psychosocial support and mental health care. Harvard review of psychiatry, 21(2), 70–91. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0b013e318283bf8f

Interventions for Children Affected by War: An Ecological Perspective on Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Care

A type of intervention with an ecological focus on the individual.

Individual level interventions for youth affected by war/conflict

A type of intervention with an ecological focus on peers/school.

Peer/School level interventions for youth affected by war/conflict

A type of intervention with a multilevel ecological focus.

Multilevel interventions for youth affected by war/conflict

A type of intervention with an ecological focus on the community

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