Characteristics of interventions for siblings of children and youth with disabilities and chronic conditions: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: Interventions to support siblings of youth with disabilities and chronic conditions have shown promising outcomes, yet there is limited synthesized literature and guidelines to support their design and development. This scoping review aims to synthesize: (1) study, participant, and intervention characteristics of sibling-focused interventions; and (2) intervention outcomes.

METHODS

Scoping review guidelines were aligned with Arksey and O'Malley, with considerations from Levac et al. and adhered to the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Four databases: (1) Ovid MEDLINE, (2) EMBASE, (3) CINAHL, and (4) PsycInfo were searched through November 2024. Data were extracted on study, participant, and intervention characteristics, and outcomes. The TIDieR checklist structured the reporting of intervention characteristics.

RESULTS

After screening the title and abstracts of 16,654 articles, 173 studies were eligible for full-text review, with 48 included. Most interventions were group-based and delivered in-person (n = 36; 75.0%) and only nine interventions (18.8%) utilized remote or virtual components. Interventions commonly included educational topics, activities, and social components. Intervention outcomes were focused on mental health, knowledge, self-esteem, social functioning and connectedness, family dynamics, and other.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review synthesizes sibling-focused interventions, highlighting key characteristics and outcomes. Findings can guide meaningful and inclusive, evidence-based rehabilitation practices addressing siblings' unique needs.