Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40519964›Full record

ArticleJCPP advances2025

Interventions for siblings of children and young people with mental health conditions: A systematic review.

Irena Tetkovic, Joanna K Anderson, Danielle Brocklebank, Jessica O'Logbon, Anne-Marie Burn, Tamsin J Ford

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JCPP advances, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Irena TetkovicDepartment of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2451-7218
Joanna K AndersonDepartment of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0565-3735
Danielle BrocklebankDepartment of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK.
Jessica O'LogbonDepartment of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK.
Anne-Marie BurnDepartment of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0637-2118
Tamsin J FordDepartment of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5295-4904

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Childhood mental health conditions typically affect the entire family, including siblings, however there is a lack of research investigating interventions supporting siblings. Methods: The review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022377163). We conducted systematic searches of 7 databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Child and Developmental and Adolescent Studies, Applied Social Science Index and Abstracts, Education Research Information Centre, and British Eduction Index) for studies evaluating interventions for children and young people (CYP) with siblings presenting with mental health conditions from January 1980 to August 2024. We included interventions for young people aged 4 to 24 years who have a sibling with a mental health condition, with symptoms and impact lasting at least 3 months. Quality of reporting was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist for qualitative and the Effective Public Health Project Practice quality assessment Tool for quantitative studies. Results: We identified 4 eligible studies; 2 of family-based treatment and the other of drop-in group support from 2469 studies that were screened in total. Quantitative results were rated weak for three out of four studies, while qualitative results were rated moderate for two studies, and high for one study. The two studies of sibling support groups reported high acceptability. Conclusion: The evidence for the effectiveness of interventions for siblings of CYP with mental health conditions is limited in both size and quality, highlighting a significant gap in research and practice. We cannot draw definitive conclusions from the available evidence, but it suggests support groups have potential to improve sibling outcomes. Additional research is required to determine sibling mental health trajectories and to identify risk and resilience factors possibly influencing poorer mental health outcomes. Clinicians should be mindful of potential effects of mental health conditions on other family members and encourage parents to communicate openly with siblings about family dynamics and the challenges they may face.

Indexed as

interventionmental healthsiblingswell‐being

Identifiers

PMID40519964
PMCPMC12159328

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.