Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review of Interventions to Support Caregivers’ Well-Being

Introduction Caring for a child with a developmental disability (DD) has been described as a stressful experience that may negatively impact the well-being of caregivers. The extent and categories of interventions available to support the physical, psychological, and general well-being of caregivers of children with DD are yet unknown. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe available well-being interventions for caregivers of children with DD.Methods The review was based on the guidance of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Using both MESH terms and keywords adapted to each database, a search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, ERIC, and CINAHL. The included studies were interventional or experimental studies published in English between 2010 and 2021. Participants were adult caregivers caring for children aged 5 to 14 years with developmental disabilities (DD). Using Covidence, a review manager, two reviewers independently conducted study screening, followed by a narrative description of the extracted findings.Results A total of 19 studies were included in the scoping review. Six main types of interventions were identified: mindfulness-based interventions, parent training interventions, cognitive-behavioural interventions, resilience-based interventions, spirituality-integrated interventions, and mind-body interventions. The interventions yielded varied results; however, some positive outcomes were observed.Conclusion The findings from various studies indicate that interventions for caregivers of children with developmental disabilities are likely to enhance their well-being. Furthermore, the complexity of the approaches and components that comprise the various interventions provides significant insight into why interventions work, the target population, the settings in which they are likely to be effective, and under what circumstances.