Table 2.
Intervention details
| Author(s) | Year | Name of Intervention | Who delivered intervention | How often/how many sessions were involved | Sessions | Protocol available | Protocol adherence recorded | Intervention offered to other members of family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical health conditions | ||||||||
| Besier et al. | 2010 | Family-oriented rehabilitation programme | Psychosocial team | 4-week programme. Session offered 1–3 times per week | Psychoeducational group, exercise, relaxation, supportive/psychotherapy, parent–child sessions | Individually arranged treatment protocols | N/A | Ill child admitted for rehabilitation. Parents also treated according to individually arranged protocols |
| Dolgin et al. | 1997 | Structured group intervention | Clinical social worker, a child life specialist and a supervising psychologist | Six group sessions were held on consecutive weeks | In addition to group discussions concerning their experience of the illness and its impact, subjects took part in arts and crafts and other creative activities in order to encourage interaction among participants and to promote non-verbal expression of relevant feelings and themes | Detailed structure available | Unclear | No |
| Heiney et al. | 1990 | Sibling support group | Co-therapists: a fellow in child psychiatry, and a pediatric oncology nurse | Seven 1-h sessions | The group was organised so that each session focused on a specific topic: introduction and orientation, diagnosis, treatment, school, coping, family relationships, and the future | No | No | Concurrent parent group |
| Houtzager et al. | 2001 | Support group for siblings | Led by two well-trained psychologists | Five weekly sessions | First session: getting to know each other, second session: changes, third session: emotions related to illness, fourth session: paediatric oncologist invited to talk, final session: siblings visit the oncology ward | No | No | No |
| Kiernan et al. | 2004 | The Barretstown gang camp | Unclear/camp Staff | 10-day sessions | Core activities: music, theatre, photography, arts and crafts, wordsmith, woodwork, canoeing, fishing, horse-riding, adventure, archery and camping. Periphery Activities: hangout, and evening activities. Social Activities: Cottage chat, rest hour and the opportunity to meet other from different countries (1) | No (more info: https://www.barretstown.org/) | No | Camp for children with life threatening illnesses and their siblings |
| Sidhu et al. | 2006 | Camp onwards | Group facilitators (undertook pre-camp training workshop) | 4-day | The program aimed to provide an opportunity to develop peer support networks and social competencies; provide age appropriate information on cancer, treatment and its impact on all the family; facilitate activities, that encourage the expression of feelings; and impart strategies to enhance adjustment to the family stressors in a safe environment | Manual (soon to be published at point of paper publication) | No | No |
| Mental health conditions | ||||||||
| Evans et al. | 2001 | Sibling support groups | Facing the challenge’ multi-disciplinary team. Comprised of nurses, a psychologist and outreach workers | Three consecutive full days, and then on a weekly basis for six evenings. A final day at a local theme park | Had a problem-solving focus. The majority of activities were of an educational and informative nature. Leisure activities were also used | No | No | No |
| Kryzak et al. | 2015 | The support and skills program (SSP) | Special education teacher, school councillor, volunteers, a psychology doctoral student | Seven 2 h sessions | Focused on developing a network of peers who face similar family challenges, learning about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and coping strategies | No | No | Support for Child with ASD |
| Phillips | 1999 | After-school program | Six team leaders (community centre staff), and seven volunteers | 15-week, after-school (3–5:30 pm) every weekday | Group discussions, recreation and homework assistance | No | No | No |
| Smith and Perry | 2005 | Sibling support groups | Treatment, Research, and Education for Autism and Developmental Disorders (TRE-ADD) staff | Weekly for 8 consecutive weeks | Exercises, games, and activities that were fun and promoted group cohesion, providing information sessions on autism and related disorders, and facilitating discussion relating to feelings and attitudes associated with living with a brother or sister who has a developmental disability | No | No | No |
| Combined | ||||||||
| Cebula | 2012 | Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) | Mother/partner, outside agency, or parents and outside agency | 2-96 months/5–40 h per week | N/A | No | No | Intensive home-based intervention for child with autism. |
| D’Arcy et al. | 2005 | SibShops | Unclear. Clinical Psychologist conducted interviews | Once a month for four consecutive months | Consists of high and low energy activities, interspersed with discussion about disability and each sibling’s experiences | No—based on the model developed by Meyer and Vadasy (1994) | Unclear | No |
| Giallo and Gavidia-Payne | 2008 | Sibstars | A clinician with postgraduate psychology training | Weekly telephone support offered to sibling and parent for 6 weeks | After the first face-to-face session, each week families were required to read an information booklet and complete the practice activities provided | Yes | Programme adherence checklist was used | Involved Parents |
| Granat et al. | 2012 | Sibling group intervention | Clinical staff from an outpatient rehabilitation centre | A 2-h session every week for 6 weeks | Content intended to increase knowledge and problem-solving skills | A manual (in Swedish) for clinical practice was compiled | No | Separate education groups being provided for parents |
| Lobato and Kao | 2002 | Sib link | Doctoral level trainees in psychology or psychiatry | Six 90-min sessions | Activities alternated between explicitly focused “main events” and other more social-recreational activities | Manuals available on request | No | Parent group |
| McLinden et al. | 1991 | Sibling support group | School psychologists | Six weeks, 1-h per week | Focused on developing participants’ acceptance of both negative and positive feelings about their siblings. Information was provided and numerous activities were utilized. | No—based on Lobato (1985) | No | No |
| Williams | 2003 | Intervention for Siblings: EXPERIENCE Enhancement (ISEE) | Pediatric nurse clinicians | 5-days | Structured teaching about the brother/sister’s illness, psychosocial session, a 5-day residential summer camp, and two booster sibling session and parent sessions | Brief Protocol Available | No | Parent sessions |