Effectiveness of Cognitive-Based Interventions on Psychological Distress in Adolescents With Physical Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Adolescents with physical disabilities experience common psychological distress that interacts with impaired physical function. While cognitive-based interventions have been implemented for adolescents with physical disabilities, their effects on enhancing psychological health remain uncertain. This systematic review aimed to synthesise the effects of cognitive-based interventions on the psychological distress of this population and identify optimal components for evidence-based interventions. Following the PRISMA guideline, nine databases were searched to identify eligible randomised controlled trials examining the effects of cognitive-based interventions for adolescents with physical disabilities from inception to October 2023. Data syntheses were performed using the R software, employing random-effects models. Twelve trials involving 1201 participants were identified. The pooled results revealed that cognitive-based interventions did not yield noticeable effects in reducing anxiety (g = −0.43 for postintervention; −0.14 for medium term; −0.37 for long term), depression (g = −0.05 for postintervention; −0.02 for medium term; −0.15 for long term) and stress levels (g = −0.15) over time. The secondary outcome (physical function) improved significantly in the long term compared to the control groups (g = 0.31). Furthermore, this review identified variations in the effectiveness of CBIs among different recipients, durations and modes of delivery. Given the limited number and overall low quality of identified studies for each outcome, conducting high-quality randomised controlled trials is recommended to validate the effectiveness of cognitive-based interventions in reducing psychological distress among adolescents with physical disabilities.