From Trauma to Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions Applied to War Victims

Abstract

Purpose: Trauma survivors in warring countries may show intense traumatic symptoms as they are forced to repeatedly experience severe traumatic experiences. Psychosocial intervention and support activities are of great importance in order to repair the deep psychological traumas caused by war. This study was conducted with the aim of demonstrating the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions applied to war victims. Method: For this systematic review and meta-analysis study, studies were obtained by searching PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar and YÖK Thesis Center databases without any year limitation. After the reviews, 13 studies were included in the study. Results: This systematic review and meta-analysis analysed the effects of psychosocial interventions on depression (SMD: −0.502; 95% CI: −0.966 to −0.037; Z = −2.117, p = 0.037 [I2 = 87.32%]) and psychological well-being (SMD: −0.030; 95% CI: −0.721 to 0.660; Z = −0.886, p = 0.931 [I2 = 97.99%]). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that psychosocial interventions for war victims can play a beneficial role on individuals' mental health. These findings highlight the importance of early and targeted psychosocial intervention programs for war victims.